Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Becoming extremely popular, now spotted in and around Whittlesey recently.
First report death a few days ago and I am grateful to NHW Secretary Robin Sutton for the following information.

Electric scooters are classed as Personal Light electric Vehicles and can only be used on private land/property. They can be used on a pavement only to park (odd little quirk in the law).
In other countries laws permit their use more  widely and they  can be hired from companies like Lime. It is becoming an incredibly popular urban transportation method.

As the law stands, riding an e-scooter on the pavement is an offence against the Highway Act of 1835, while riding one on the road is an offence against the Road Traffic Act 1988 unless you have a driving licence, insurance, helmet, road tax and a registration plate – something the DVLA refuses to provide for “un-roadworthy” vehicles. The situation is under review by the Department of Transport as the laws are out of date and conflict with the efforts for a cleaner environment.

There is a very strong lobby from scooter hire companies who are backed by millions of pounds of investment. It is clear that we are now lagging behind many other countries where electric scooters are legal (and regulated). E-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds and e-skateboards are increasingly common in cities where they are seen as a green and convenient form of transport by many.

In reality they are massively increasing and I suspect that the law will change possibly having some kind of licence and regulation for on the road use. A report on Urban Mobility, due out soon, will include issues related to self-driving cars, car and bike sharing, drones and internet-connected vehicles, as well as e-scooters and will start the process of law change. The law is currently rarely enforced where they are used sensibly but there have been people killed by them and a number of accidents globally, in one case in the UK a 15 year old had six points on his driving licence in advance of it being issued but he was being especially reckless.

To give a little perspective mobility scooters were involved in 260 accidents of which 14 were fatal and 61 were serious in 2016. Next year all police forces will have to report on their mobility scooter statistics which will give a clearer picture. There appears to be little understanding over the which type can be used on the road and which are allowed on the pavement.

After my post about the Kings Dyke Crossing yesterday (26th) @ 8:47am – this website/blog had 4975 unique visitors in 18 hours.
Another record – thanks.

As I have said for the passed 10+ years of running this ‘local’ community website – 99.99% of what is posted is ‘Fact’ not ‘Fiction’ – I am working very hard for the other 0.01% !!!!

This weekend photo was taken when we were recently on the small island of ‘Coll’ – Inner Hebrides – population 180 – and I had a chat to most of them!
Last reported crime 25 years ago – and No MOT required for your Car…
(as long as it is not driven on the mainland)

As here is Whittlesey – a small group of volunteers look after things…

Further to the announcement from Cambs CC..
I am so pleased that ‘we’ – Whittlesey are getting the man from the ‘top’ prepared to come and ‘update’ us all from his prospective.
Cambs CC Leader – Steve Count
Yes we have had occasionally updates from CC David Connor and the very occasional update from CC Chris Boden – but this is an opportunity to ask the right questions…

There is also a meeting of Cambs CC ‘Economy & Environment’ committee provisionally allocated for the 15th August – @ 10:00 – this may well be changed..
When the KD Crossing is to be discussed.
Picture ©RoyGerstner.

The ‘newly’ formed cluster group Lakeside – incorporating New Queen Street Surgery have their Patients Participation Group Meeting this Monday – anyone is welcome.

Just to be correct – I too asked Cllr Steve Count if he was prepared for a Whittlesey meeting last Thursday….

After the meeting finished I happened to be able to talk with Cambs CC leader Cllr Steve Count and asked him whether he would be prepared to come to Whittlesey and from the ‘top’ tell us the way forward, which he was in agreement – that also the people and electorate of Whittlesey and the Villages deserve to be informed.

News Published on 25 Jul 2019

Cambridgeshire County Council’s Leader Steve Count is to discuss the future of the King’s Dyke project at an event for local residents, ahead of a specially convened Committee meeting in August to agree the next steps in getting the bypass scheme built.

 He has responded to requests put to him by County Councillors Chris Boden and David Connor to engage directly with residents of Whittlesey regarding the future of Kings Dyke –   at an event in the heart of their town. 

Despite tight timelines he has asked the County to put together an exhibition outlining the issues and options for the project, where there will be ample opportunity to talk to officers and Cllr Count. This will take place in Whittlesey on August 12 – three days ahead of a special meeting of the Economy and Environment Committee called to consider recommendations on a way forward for the project which looks to cut congestion in the area.

 Comments from the event will be fed back verbally to the Economy and Environment Committee on the 15 August – a meeting which Cllr. Count has also requested the chairman investigate holding in Whittlesey. 

March resident, Cllr Count, himself a regular user of the affected route said “I think those most affected by any decisions that we take, are right to ask me and deserve to hear and understand for themselves the issues that we have faced so far and also fully understand the options that are going to be discussed by the committee.

“I am going to be there in person, so that I can talk directly to residents and they can measure for themselves how determined I am to get this built – to put it bluntly “by seeing the whites of my eyes”. 

The event will be held between 3-8pm at the Whittlesey Christian Church on Broad Street