Banning mobility aids; where's the line?

1. My friend, Charles, in an enclosed mobility aid.  2. Walker with 2 wheels. 
3.  4-wheeled walker with seat/wheelchair.  4.  Electric mobility aid.  5.  All-terrain mobility aid.

Mobility aids.  They can be anything from a simple stick to a complicated, enclosed electric scooter complete with signal, head, and tail lights.  All of them have one purpose - to help those with mobility challenges get around.  So, why are some of them banned?

It depends on the jurisdiction.  The main item drawing attention is the enclosed mobility aid, such as a weather-proofed personal cart that gives extra protection to the user, seen in the above photo (1).  They may be deemed too powerful, too large, or too fast.  

A scooter/mobility aid does not require insurance to operate.  They are not legal on roadways, in the same way that pedestrians are not.  Yet, as they get larger, enclosed, or more powerful, their place on the sidewalk becomes an issue to those of us on foot.  Have you noticed the sidewalks lately?

E-scooters, electric bikes, electric off-road bikes (no pedals), electric mopeds, and the like have become very popular.  Many have more power than the typical enclosed mobility aid, may be larger (5), are far faster, and are typically used on the road.  How is it that enclosing a scooter makes it illegal?  

It seems to me that the enclosure is not the issue.  Sure, it looks like a mini-car, just like an electric moped looks like a motorcycle.  These two-wheeled "mobility aids" fly around on roads and sidewalks, at high speeds, and do not require a licence or insurance.  The enclosed mobility aids have less power, are much slower, and are used by individuals with reduced mobility to get around in some degree of safety and comfort.

If you are going to look at all forms of transportation not requiring a licence or insurance, perhaps it would be better to start from the simplest to the largest/most powerful.  After all, canes pose a threat.  We wouldn't want one of them falling into the wrong hands now, would we?

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com


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