Faced with the questions raised by the energy transition, many people have “challenged” their way of getting around. Daily journeys between home and work are among the most polluting. On these short routes, the challenge will be to adopt greener mobility.
We are witnessing the emergence of a multimodal mode of transport. Especially for getting around town. Perhaps you are already adopting this trend of using several means of transport in combination on the same route, such as the bike and the train or the bus and the metro. The goal? Use the personal vehicle less often both for practical reasons, for example to spend less time in traffic jams, to be less tired, and for economic reasons.
However, it must be recognized that in rural areas, it is less obvious, but not impossible. It is the presence or absence of appropriate infrastructures as well as the offer of transport services, adapted or not, that will give an even stronger impetus to this initiative.
The democratization of new urban transport
To reduce journey times, no longer be dependent on the schedules or vagaries of transport companies or simply to be more independent, many people have turned to new individual vehicles to get around town. At the top of the list on the market for soft mobility, the electric bike, unicycles and the electric scooter, too.
We had already mentioned the advantages that make the success of the electric scooter in a previous article. It is part of what is called motorized personal transport equipment (EDPM) and over a long distance, it provides better comfort and much more stability than the single-wheel. The electric bike, on the other hand, is more expensive and above all, it requires more storage space, both at home and in the workplace.
What about regulations?
This mode of transport was the subject of much mistrust at the start since it was considered to be accident-prone and suffered from a lack of regulations concerning its use. Since then, the contours of the legislation have been reinforced and today, the prohibitions and the rights are clear for all:
- compulsory circulation on cycle paths, on the road whose maximum speed is set at 50 km/h or on pedestrian areas by limiting the speed to 6 km/h;
- traffic prohibited on the sidewalks;
- be covered by civil liability insurance;
- be at least 12 years old;
- do not carry other people.
as well as others General rules which also apply to the other EDPMs accessible on the sites of the Road safety and public service.
Do you also want to participate in a more sustainable mode of travel? If the electric scooter seems to suit your needs, you may be surprised by the price range, which extends from €250 to over €1,000 for the most expensive models. In this fairly wide price range, it is difficult to make a choice without fear of making concessions on quality.
The first question to ask yourself concerns the use you are going to make of it. Occasional, daily, medium or long distance… This first filter will have the effect of eliminating the least suitable models from your searches.
The second thing to do to save time in your research is to read a comparison to find a cheap electric scooter but which meets your selection criteria: autonomy, weight for transport, maneuverability or types of tyres. At a glance, these comparative articles allow you to see the strengths and weaknesses of the best-selling models on the market.
