Mobility scooter riders may soon need licences

Fantastic idea and then I would to see these push-bikers also sit there licence,as they cause more accidents than most others,they are the biggest idiots on the road!

As a mobility scooter user, I've read all the instructions on how we must take care, and respect that foot traffic has right of way on footpaths. But the walking traffic using the footpaths are not as courteous as me, and often walk straight across my bows without even looking and I have to jam on my brakes, which jolts my already painful legs and body! So it goes both ways. Also, if we are going to licence mobility scooters, why not bicycles, prams, pushchairs, childrens tricycles, skates/skateboards, anything with two or four wheels that travel on footpath or road? Where does it stop? My grand-daughter, on a small, fold up two wheel scooter, can go faster than I can on my mobility scooter!! She stops and waits for me to catch her up! Will she, at seven, have to get a licence too??? Come on, people, get real!

There are some dangerous people on these machines i once saw an old man in a supermarket knock over a kid at full speed (i know its not 100km/h but still). Then you have others that expect everyone to move for them. So i think maybe some form of training is in order as far as licences maybe that a little too extreme.

I stopped at an accident recently where one dear old lady on her mobility scooter had run over another sweet lady on the footpath. The sweet lady had a broken leg. The scooter driver mentioned this was not the first accident she had had...why is there no regulation of these things. They are big and heavy and some ppl zip along the footpaths at quite a speed. I have also seen quite a few elderly just pull out in front of traffic to cross the road and have had to slam on my brakes in one instance to avoid colliding with a mobility scooter. I understand they give the elderly and those who cannot walk long distances some independence, but I do feel the use of them needs to regulated and users need to be tested for safety reasons of all other on the footpaths and roads.

Glenn you really need to take a holiday from your National Buddies.

New Zealand is the laughing stock of the world, more difficult to get a car license than becoming a pilot, and now pensioners must have a license to get to the shop. Now wonder the country is going down the tube.

Really Bill? have you ever been in the path of an oncoming mobility scooter? some of these old folk are aggressive with their driving of these machines.

Why is there any suggestion they need to do this? I don't get it.

the goverment can smell money making schemes, this will be one of them that will have them salivating at the chops, chinge chinge chinge

If my memore serves me correctly from when I used to sell scooters there is a speed limit of 6km/hr for footpaths. But like everything things are getting bigger and more powerful so all that is required is for manufacturers or NZ dealers to put a speed limiter on the scooters.
Although maybe they should be able to go fast so elderly people can avoid be hit by full beer bottles.