In a post to Facebook, Guide Dogs Tasmania posted a picture of an e-scooter parked directly outside their Hobart office.

READ MORE: Millwood ruling details decades of harassment following sexual abuse

Guide Dogs Tasmania program manager Kim Ryan said while the organisation did not oppose the implementation of the scooters, limiting accessibility to the vision impaired was a concern.

"We've had a scooter parked right across the entranceway and access way to our main office where our vision-impaired clients are coming in and out all day, so that's been a big concern," she said.

Ms Ryan said the organisation had also received feedback from clients reporting e-scooters blocking access at intersections.

"Feedback we've had from clients is the scooters are getting left across critical access points, so at traffic lights where they're trying to find the pram ramps and safely negotiate road crossings," she said.

"We've also had clients and our puppy raisers, with our pups, having to go onto the road to get off the footpath, move past the scooter and then come back on the footpath."

READ MORE: Mayor concerned code of conduct changes 'not enough'

Ms Ryan said for people unable to navigate around the e-scooters, the obstacle presented a safety concern.

"It's a significant danger for anyone to go out onto the road and then come back onto the footpath," she said.

"The footpaths are always considered a safe zone for pedestrians, so even people with limited balance, with limited mobility in wheelchairs and prams, and all of our low vision cane and guide dog users are facing extra challenges in their independent travel along the footpaths."

In Launceston, similar concerns have been raised for wheelchair users after a man in a wheelchair struggled to navigate a narrow footpath lined with e-scooters.

Ascent Fitness owner Dr John Ralph is a personal trainer who works with people with limited mobility and said improperly stored scooters were a concern for people in wheelchairs after witnessing the event.

He said the scooters were good for Launceston, but determining where scooters should be parked needed further consideration.

"I think what they need to do, like they've done in other countries that have a well-established e-scooter hire regime, is have docking stations," he said.

"You take your e-scooter to the docking station and you don't stop being billed until you've docked it."

READ MORE: Carols by Candlelight final figure counted

Dr Ralph said he would like to see the councils take some action to educate the public on the need to properly park the scooters, but said responsibility also sat with the user.

"The provider has given instructions to the user and there are some places where if you park them they don't switch off and it'll tell you you can't park there," he said.

"But if it's in an area where you are supposed to park and the instructions have been given to the user, the user just has to make sure they're pocketed away - that's just being considerate of other people.

"I would suggest that the council could probably help support that initiative by doing something, maybe put together an awareness video."

City of Launceston mayor Albert van Zetten said education and docking stations were a matter for the operators, but said the council would address issues of poor parking with the business.

"Where instances of poor parking are identified, the Council will take it up with e-scooter providers, and we also encourage members of the public to raise any such instances with the businesses," he said.

READ MORE: Ambulance Tasmania's COVID preparedness called into question

Head of communication for e-scooter operator Beam, Michelle Leong said Beam provides in-app guidelines for riders to educate them on safe riding and parking.

She said Beam was investing in the development of new technology to better detect proper and improper riding and parking.

Ms Leong said Beam also offered a 24-hour customer service hotline to report instances of improper parking.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

Follow us on Google News: The Examiner