Tuesday 14 May 2019 9:06am
Keeping up with a changing world - a sign reminding people to dismount from bikes and scooters as they travel through the Dunedin campus.
The focus is tightening on ensuring all campuses are as pedestrian-friendly as possible at the University of Otago.
Since the introduction of the University’s Traffic and Parking Regulations in 2014, the use of different mobile transport devices has triggered the need to for updates, Property Services Division Director Dean Macaulay says.
“The use of personal transportation is changing and the Traffic and Parking Regulations require alteration to reflect this.”
The University of Otago Council today approved new regulations to update and replace the 2014 regulations – the Traffic and Parking Regulations 2019.
Users of scooters, bicycles, skateboards and other forms of mobile transport will now need to disembark when entering University campuses.
Bicycles and ‘personal transport devices’ (scooters, skateboards, push scooters, roller blades etc) – whether human- or electric-powered – are classified together and treated the same, he says.
"The use of personal transportation is changing and the Traffic and Parking Regulations require alteration to reflect this."
Prohibiting their use on campus becomes the default position, but the Property Services Division Director can still designate areas for their use if necessary.
The changes are particularly important in Dunedin because the campus can have 3,000 students and staff walking through it at any stage – especially between lectures – and was designed for pedestrians, he says.
Personal mobility aids for people with disabilities – such as wheelchairs – are still permitted on campuses.
While service vehicles also continue to be allowed on the campuses in designated controlled areas, the regulations still limit them to 10 kilometres an hour, Mr Macaulay says.
The new regulations include a section on charging electric vehicles and personal transport devices. Electricity paid for by the University cannot be used to charge them except:
- At designated charging points on campus (the University has these for work vehicles only currently, but may consider installing them for staff and students in the future)
- In University-owned accommodation, providing the bicycle or personal transport device is owned by a resident of that accommodation.
The new regulations have an expanded parking and storage section as well, so they do not prevent people carrying small transport devices – such as skateboards – or storing them nearby. But those devices cannot block an exit or otherwise disrupt University activities, and must be no larger than 1.2 metres x 50cm x 50cm.
The University will be launching an educational campaign called Walk your Wheels for staff and students, to ask them to do their bit to look after themselves and the rest of the University community by spreading the message and dismounting at campus entrances.
The campaign will include flyers, posters, emails, newsletters, social media and sandwich boards. New signs are also going up around the campuses, Mr Macaulay says.
Note: The University has already advised staff and students that hired e-scooters cannot be charged with the University’s electricity.