A concerned Launceston resident has had a traumatic experience recently, with an e-scooter falling on her partner's service dog and knocking him unconscious.
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Ros Sparkes' partner was walking along Invermay Road when their service dog Ollie was forced to stop just down from UTAS Stadium.
"They discovered this was due to several e-scooters left parked over the footpath along with the nature strip, and Ollie couldn't easily guide around them," said Mrs Sparkes.
"However, taking the pedestrian crossing to the other side of Invermay Road was not an option as crossing back further down at the Lindsay Street roundabout as it is way too busy at that time of the day.
"So Ollie tried veering around but the lead caught on scooter and the next thing it had toppled onto them, knocking them onto the ground. My partner couldn't get a response from Ollie, so we called a friend who came and picked them up, helping bundle Ollie into a blanket into the car and take them to our vet.
"Ollie was knocked unconscious from the weight of the scooter, and is with us at home recovering and will be assessed to determine if service dog duties can be resumed."
Mrs Sparkes said this is not the first encounter her and her partner have had with e-scooters.
"I have personally had experiences with these scooters. I live with Dysautonomia which causes among other things, mobility and balance difficulties," she said.
"I value my independence of being able to walk, especially in such a level suburb as Invermay, but obstructions on footpaths, especially businesses not complying with City of Launceston's Portable Sign Guidelines and Specifications, or their On-street Dining Guidelines, makes accessibility challenging at the best of times.
Mrs Sparkes said that more needs to be done in regards to the safe placing of e-scooters and creation of e-scooter hubs.
"The addition of these scooters, or at least their placement, appears to not follow any proper pattern of placement once users have finished with them, has created further risk for those of us with mobility impairments.
"Since their introduction last month I've had numerous encounters with them which have led to falls as they are too heavy for me to lift and move out of my path."
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