Taxi Drivers and the Safety of Electric Scooters: A Yerevan Council Member's Perspective

Yerevan Council member Vahe Gevorgyan took to Facebook to express his views on the safety of electric scooters, also known as self-balancing scooters. He stated,   “Scooters are a thousand times safer than any other transportation option that operates at greater speeds. Even considering that there are hundreds or thousands more cars on the road, scooters remain incomparably safe. You cannot compare the impact of a scooter with that of a car. Yes, there are issues, it’s new, and there is a lack of experience, but we cannot exaggerate the situation simply because it’s a new or unusual means of transport. The more these types of vehicles develop, the safer and cleaner they will become in every respect. I have noticed how taxi drivers are destroying the reputation of scooters or showing a negative attitude toward them because their fare starts at a minimum of 1500 drams.”

It is worth recalling that there has been a lot of discussion recently regarding the presence of electric scooters on the sidewalks of Yerevan. Citizens are raising alarms about the safety concerns when these scooters are ridden in crowded areas. One user on Facebook reported that a scooter rider injured a small boy. In the comments, other users have also indicated that they have encountered similar incidents.