"Please Park Properly" Scooters Scattered Everywhere... Citizens Express Frustration

Abandoned Electric Scooters in the City Center Cause Citizen 'Complaints'
Electric Scooter Accidents Surge... 117 Cases in 2017 → 447 Cases in 2019
Experts Say "Minimum Education Needed... Strengthen Enforcement Standards"

On the afternoon of the 6th, electric scooters were left lying around in a dilapidated state in a busy area of Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Midam damdam@asiae.co.kr.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "Please don't park electric scooters anywhere."

Citizens are increasingly complaining about inconveniences such as obstruction of passage due to electric scooters carelessly scattered along the streets. This is because there are no return regulations for scooters, so users leave them as if abandoning them in the middle of sidewalks or apartment parking lots. As a result, not only are citizens voicing their discomfort, but concerns about safety accidents are also rising. Some visually impaired people even claim they cannot pass through at all.

Given this situation, the government announced guidelines to prohibit parking scooters in certain areas. However, there are criticisms that the guidelines lack legal enforceability and thus have limited effectiveness. Experts emphasize the need for safety rule compliance and prior education as the number of scooter users increases.

As scooter usage rises, related complaints have surged. According to data received by National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee member Seo Beom-su of the People Power Party from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the National Police Agency on the 8th of last month, complaints related to electric scooters increased significantly from 290 cases in 2016 to 1,951 cases as of last July. This represents more than a sevenfold increase over the past five years.

Among these, there are quite a few complaints about inconvenience caused by scooters being left unattended on sidewalks and roads. This is because scooters are often recklessly abandoned regardless of location, including building entrances, subway station exits, and the middle of sidewalks.

Office worker Lee (28) expressed frustration over the inconvenience caused by scooters left in the city. Lee said, "If scooters are scattered in narrow alleys, you end up having to take a detour," adding, "It's inconvenient, but what if someone trips over a scooter left anywhere?" He continued, "I hope people at least park them conscientiously."

The reason scooters are left anywhere is related to the operating method. Scooters operate on a system where users pay a certain fee to rent scooters from a company. After use, if the scooter is parked anywhere, its location is recorded via GPS, allowing other nearby users to use it.

From the user's perspective, it is convenient because they do not have to find a specific return spot, but if the next user does not appear immediately, the scooter inevitably remains parked in that spot for some time.

An electric scooter user is riding a scooter on the road. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As pedestrian inconvenience grew, the government and others announced guidelines on the 2nd to designate no-parking zones. As a result, scooters are prohibited from parking in 13 areas, including stairs, roadways, bus stops, and taxi stands.

However, concerns about the effectiveness of these regulations are growing. Since there is no legal binding force, it is pointed out that it is difficult to solve the scooter parking problem in practice.

Complaints are also voiced among citizens. Another office worker Kim (27) said, "Some people park scooters not only in front of subway stations but also right at building entrances," adding, "As more people use scooters, I think dedicated parking lots should be created or related penalties established."

On social networking services (SNS) such as Twitter, there are many who express dissatisfaction with abandoned scooters.

One netizen said, "My mother is visually impaired and has often experienced inconvenience because of scooters," adding, "I hope everyone parks scooters safely to one side."

In other countries, scooter usage regulations are stricter than in Korea. In Paris, France, after 284 people were injured and 5 died in scooter accidents in 2017, a fine of 135 euros (about 180,000 won) was imposed for riding scooters on sidewalks. The UK, China, and others prohibit scooters from riding on roads and sidewalks and restrict usage to private property only.

Experts suggest that prior education related to scooters is urgently needed as the number of users increases.

Professor Kim Pil-su of Daelim University’s Department of Automotive Engineering said on his YouTube channel, "Education on scooter usage and accident awareness is necessary," emphasizing, "I think a certificate of completion for at least two hours of education is needed."

Regarding strengthening scooter regulations, he said, "Strict regulations on scooter speed should be established and enforcement standards strengthened. Grounds for fines or penalties should also be prepared," adding, "The government should actively consider the lack of insurance systems when collisions occur."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.