We Say/You Say: Electric Scooters
Hi Hamilton,
Should electric scooters stay or go?
Electric scooters are set to stay on Hamilton Streets with pedestrian and user safety remaining a concern.
Hamilton City Council's Infrastructure Operations Committee approved the extension to operate indefinitely and has opened up a previously exclusive contract to other operators.
Councillor Sarah Thomson said she had heard from the disabled community and older residents that sharing the footpath with scooter riders could be a terrifying experience, and she had recently experienced a close call herself with a scooter rider.
"I was coming around a corner, I was pushing [my son] Leo in a pram and I nearly collided with someone riding a scooter. Leo, who is 10-and-a-half months old, would have been the first one hit."
The committee has attempted to address these concerns, with three-monthly reports needing to be submitted to ensure companies and scooter riders are adhering to regulations. Public liability insurance worth $2 million will also be required from each operator.
Share your thoughts below and don't forget to type NFP if you don't want your comments used in the Hamilton Press.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
How are you celebrating Christmas this year?
From hot air balloon rides to cotton ball scooping games, folks around Hamilton have their festive plans sorted.
On a sunny Monday when most people are already on holiday, there were a few homecomers on Hamilton streets.
How are you celebrating Christmas this year? Tell us in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).