The environmentally friendly electric buses set it up for the visually impaired.
Now several people in Västmanland alert that silent electric buses can be a danger, reports P4 Västmanland.
– – It feels uncomfortable. You stand on the street and pull after air and listen and listen. But they are not heard, says Monica Fredriksson, who has a visual impairment.
Electrical kick bikes and electric cars have long been a problem for visually impaired. Now it is also alerted that electric buses, which take more and more space in city traffic, create concern. Monica Fredriksson is the Deputy Chairman of the Visually Impaired National Association in Västmanland and is constantly scared when she is in an urban environment.
– You are afraid when going over a street. The electric bus is a big and dangerous wonder and it is problematic when you go with a cane, she tells TV4 News.
Today, the noise level on the electric buses is controlled by an EU law that requires the buses to be heard enough. But Monica Fredriksson believes that the sound is not high enough, especially when the buses run at low speed.
– It is so quiet that it really is not enough. It is very uncomfortable for us who do not see and a concern that is always in your head when standing at a pedestrian crossing, she says.
Want warning sounds
Several electric buses have been established in the cities to reduce emissions and noise. But a British study shows that pedestrians in the state environment are three times the risk of being hit by an electric vehicle compared to a car driven by fossil fuels.
– It is very nasty if an accident has to happen before it changes, we must be so wise to predict that it can happen, says Monica Fredriksson.
Now she wants there to be an automatic sound that sounds when the bus arrives.
– No nasty sound or engine sound, but some nice sound that warns that the bus is on the way so we don’t have to worry.
No significant risk
Geert Schaap is the head of technology and innovation at Svealand traffic that runs buses for Västmanland Länstrafik. He states P4 Västmanland that the sound does not pose a significant risk.
“There are a lot of people who look down at their phones and just cross the road at any time. Our drivers are trained to drive safely for all travelers and all other road users, ”he says.