Last week, two 13-year-old girls died while crossing the railway tracks on an electric scooter, having not noticed an oncoming train that was unable to stop in time. This incident sparked heated discussions both in the corridors of the Riga City Council and in society — who is to blame: railway crossings, youth, or the vehicles themselves?
“My daughter recently also got hurt riding an electric scooter, she was riding in the dark, it could have ended differently. Should such vehicles be banned? I don’t know what needs to be done, but apparently, the rules should be stricter, for example, mandatory helmets. As it is, my daughter has a broken knee, it’s terrible,” said producer and director Andrei Ekis on the TV24 show “Preses Klubs.”
He explained that everyone knows the potholes in Riga — they haven’t gone anywhere. “I’m not one of those who bans everything, I think there should be some rules,” Ekis pointed out.
On the social media platform Threads, people are discussing the accident and expressing their opinions on who should be held responsible.
A user under the pseudonym @bngmdr writes: “How exactly can the entrepreneur ‘RIDE’ or ‘BOLT’ be responsible for the fact that some parent or other adult added their documents, and then the child used them? How?”
Another user agrees with the discussion author’s opinion: “It’s the parents’ responsibility, not RIDE, BOLT, or anyone else’s. To use such a service, you need a phone and a bank card. If the parent handed all this over and doesn’t control what their child is doing at all, the result can be tragic. Secondly, it’s not the children themselves who learn to ignore at least minimal safety rules on the road — parents are either the same violators or simply don’t care.”
Renars notes that the company is once again being blamed for the behavior of irresponsible parents and undisciplined children: “These electric scooters are not faster than bicycles. Then the only complaint against the company is that they don’t check for a license, not age. The accident happened due to a violation of traffic rules. Everyone is told — if the crossing is closed, you need to wait. Where is the company’s fault here?”
Also, a user with the nickname @matainis_mv is puzzled: “Yes, I also don’t fully understand why the scooter is to blame… what difference does it make what these children were using for transportation? This could have happened while crossing on foot. So what — should shoe manufacturers be blamed? I agree that there is chaos in the vehicle rental sector, but that’s another topic. We need to educate children, society needs to set an example at pedestrian crossings and intersections. And at crossings, full barriers should be installed that close off the sidewalks.”
Gerda disagrees with the previously expressed opinions and is convinced that the company is to blame for what happened: “Ride does not require document verification. You just randomly enter what you want — and go. I believe this is the company’s direct fault. They know that minors use these things, but they haven’t changed anything in their policy.”
@inga_w86: “If I understand correctly, this service provider didn’t conduct any identity verification at all — you just enter in the app that you confirm your age, and that’s it. I’m wondering — doesn’t the Consumer Rights Protection Center (PTAC) conduct any checks before allowing such services to operate in the market? Bolt, at least, requires a valid driver’s license.”
@proaggresives: “It seems everyone has somewhat forgotten about parental responsibility. It’s no wonder it’s hard to find teachers…”
@gunarsfff750: “Sharing should be banned altogether. Every means of transportation that you operate should be your own. Even a bicycle. You need to get used to each vehicle to be able to manage it. Or use public transport, where there is a driver.”
@ieva_laiveniece: “In my opinion, this is being used as a precedent to start introducing stricter rules for vehicle-sharing companies — with age verification. Okay, with Bolt and Citybee you can only rent a car with a license, and Bolt also requires experience. But scooters and other means of transportation are used even by those whose handlebars are above their heads, and accordingly — no or very weak knowledge of traffic rules.”
@osiits69: “And in the case of those girls — no one is to blame, just the wrong place and the wrong time. Put even a stone there, but if someone else were in the girls’ place, they wouldn’t know if another train was coming… The main thing is to find someone to blame and ban or restrict everything. That’s why in our country, things are so bad with minors — they only become independent upon reaching adulthood. And they only learn a lot when they become adults, because they can’t be made ‘ready’ earlier.”
