Tag Archive: vienna

  1. Austria launches folding e-bike funding plus tighter e-scooter regulations in Vienna

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    Austrian policy developments across the light electric mobility experience

    Source: SAZ Bike, TheMayor.eu

    Electric drive folding bikes are now included, for the first time, in a subsidy initiated by the Ministry of Climate Protection, in cooperation with the sports retail trade. Private individuals, companies, clubs and communities may now benefit from funding up to 600 Euros (450 Euros via the Ministry of Climate Protection and 150 Euros from the sports retail trade) towards folding electric or non-electric bikes, plus one bicycle service. Live since March 1 of this year, the initiative aims to make cycling more attractive to a wider group of riders, especially where folding e-bikes are more adaptable to multi-modal and public transportation. Indeed, for private individuals to be eligible for the subsidy, they need to show possession of an annual ticket for public transit. The folding bike itself must also be under 110 x 80 x 40cm folded.

    Austria has seen further regulatory developments this month in the form of an announced overhaul of e-scooter regulations in Vienna. The main change will see the city set up 200 designated parking spaces for electric scooters, making it impossible to end your ride unless you park in an official space. The move is intended to better control pavement parking, and parking spaces will be situated on the road, next to WienMobil bike stations. Sites can park 8 to 10 scooters and there will be a parking ban with a radius of 100 metres around them. Outside of these stations, riders are instructed to park between cars.

    Vienna already enacted a 500 scooter cap in its central zone and a 1,500 cap in districts 2 through 9 and 20, and in the future intends to designate red zones around hospitals, markets and other hotspots, where scooters will not work and parking violations will be enforced.

  2. Vienna to overhaul city-centre e-scooter ecosystem

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    Source: TheMayor.eu

    The number of e-scooters in the city centre will be severely restricted, parking rules will be updated, and speed limits will be reduced in this major regulation shift

    The new regulations are set to come into effect in May 2023, while the local council will vote on the package of measures in December. This policy change has come about following the increase from 2018-2021 in both e-scooter-related injuries (1,025 to 2,560) and deaths (17 to 24). Many of the incoming regulations will therefore focus on improving safety for both riders and pedestrians.

    The expected changes can be grouped into three main categories:

    City centre e-Scooter distribution

    Perhaps the largest policy change regards a proposed restriction of max. 500 e-scooters in the city centre at any given time; this is extremely restrictive when considering the current average of approx. 1,500. According to City Councilor for Mobility, Ulli Sima, this type of mobility is very useful for last-leg journeys and authorities are trying to position them in metro stops in residential areas and push ride-sharing providers to cover more parts of the city.

    e-Scooter parking regulation

    A further key policy change is to ban the parking of e-scooters on sidewalks. Currently, sidewalk usage as a parking location is reducing pedestrianised space to the detriment of other city-goers. To combat this, the city will create special parking zones and rely upon micromobility providers to enforce suitable parking amongst their riders. Repeat violations of parking policy may result in the micromobility provider having its operating license revoked.

    Riding restrictions

    Finally, who can use the devices, and the way in which they can ride will be altered. Riding speed is set to be reduced from 25 km/h to 20km/h, while a minimum age limit of 12 years will be imposed. It is worth noting that this is significantly lower than the age limit seen in many other European countries (Germany = 14, UK = 17).

  3. Sustainable mobility sweeps through Vienna’s chimney industry

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    With the financial backing of the city, hundreds of chimney sweeps in Vienna will be provided with electric cargo bikes to aid in their profession.

    Source: The Mayor

    Chimney sweeps in Vienna play a critical role in maintaining the city’s heating/energy efficiency/air quality paradigm. The sweeps secure the safety of close to 12,000 Viennese households that run fireplaces as their heating source. This service prevents fires and dangerous levels of carbon monoxide; additionally, well-maintained systems use 10% less fuel.

    The wide range of transport and parking options associated with e-cargo bikes, alongside adequate storage for the necessary industry tools, places the bikes as a cost-effective alternative to a car for chimney sweeps working within the city centre.

    Cash from the Vienna Green Electricity Fund is being used to support chimney sweeping companies as they switch to e-cargo bikes, having already financed 300 bikes across 260 companies. A further 180 companies are pending approval for e-cargo funding, pushing a total of 440 chimney-sweeping companies towards a greener, and cheaper, method of operation.

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