Surrey pedestrian calls for e-scooters and bikes to be removed from sidewalks

Robert “Bob Dog” Stierle, a 65-year-old Guildford resident with mobility issues who does not own a vehicle, says Surrey sidewalks no longer feel safe. He says illegal e-scooters, motorbikes and bicycles on pedestrian walkways expose pedestrians to high-speed traffic, collisions and physical threats.

Stierle says he has been injured and threatened more than once a day and has launched a change.org petition, Take Back Our Sidewalks. He wants Surrey council to co-ordinate a sustained, high-visibility enforcement effort between Surrey Bylaw Enforcement and police services to penalize violators and protect pedestrian rights. During a Sept. 17 interview in Guildford, he swung his cane at an e-scooter rider crossing his path at a crosswalk and said he does not apologize for such confrontations.

Surrey Police Service and the City of Surrey recently reminded riders that e-scooters are permitted only on private property in Surrey, not on public roads or sidewalks, and that riders must be 16 years of age under provincial law. On Sept. 21, Councillor Rob Stutt urged the provincial government to develop a comprehensive provincewide e-scooter regulatory plan, citing considerable safety concerns.

Guildford Park Secondary principal Marti Player also reminded families that Surrey Schools does not permit e-scooters to be used or stored on school property. Stierle says he wants the issue to become an election issue.