Many drivers don't like them on the roads, now it looks like electronic assisted scooters, or e-bikes, could be banned from pathways through London parks.
It's a proposal being considered by a city council committee.
Some say the plan could force more commuters back into their cars.
Steven Karst says his daily e-bike commute on the multi-use path is a lot safer than on the road.
“Even the diamond trails on the road aren't too safe for anyone,” says Karst. “Most debris gets shifted there. Cars aren't paying attention. I've been clipped a couple times on my regular pedal bike using the diamond trails.”
But some would like to run him off the path. London's Parks and Recreation is asking council to banish e-bikes from multi-use pathways. Staff members say while there haven't been any accidents, they do get complaints.
“An e-bike looks more like a motorcycle than it does a bicycle,” says Bill Coxhead, London's director of parks and recreation. “It's motorized and as a result that we want to preclude it from our recreational trails and bikeways.”
Some pedestrians say as long as path users respect each other, there shouldn't be a problem.
There's actually a speed limit on pathways. It's 30 kilometres an hour. Parks and Recreation staff say that is too fast. They want to slow things down on the pathways and reduce the speed limit to 20 kilometres an hour.
Cyclist Helen Riordon thinks it’s a good idea.
“I do slow down when I see people walking or running on the path,” she says.
As for sharing the path, she votes muscle power over battery power.
The Community and Protective Services Committee sent the e-bike proposal back to staff for more clarification between scooters and electric bicycles.
