Kitsap Transit bans large e-scooters from ferry, citing safety concerns
Aug 22, 2022, 12:35 PM
On the Kitsap Fast Ferry, the deck crew can hardly reach the desk due to the volume of e-scooters on board. (Photo courtesy of Kitsap Fast Ferry)
(Photo courtesy of Kitsap Fast Ferry)
As of today, Kitsap Transit will no longer allow large electric scooters on the Fast Ferry to Bremerton and will limit how many smaller scooters will be allowed on board.
Media spokesperson for Kitsap Transit, Sanjay Bhatt, told KIRO Newsradio that the e-scooters became a growing issue for the safety of our deckhands and passengers as they tried to move through the aisle.
Bhatt goes on to say that they could have banned e-scooters altogether, however, their solution was to allow for some scooters by limiting “the size of the e-scooters to 43 inches when folded.”
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“[Kitsap Transit] is doing this because space under the tables in the cabin isn’t just for electric scooters,” Bhatt said. “It’s also for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) devices, strollers, luggage, and what we are trying to do here is balance the needs for all of our riders.”
He also goes on to stress that only five scooters will be allowed on the ferry for each ride, and it is on a first come, first serve basis. If a passenger with an ADA device fills the space first, then scooters won’t be allowed. Scooters may not be hung on bicycle racks or stowed beneath seats.
Riders will need to plan ahead, he says it will be “just like when you go to the airport and you are going to board the plane with a carry-on and they ask you to place your bag in one of the size-testing boxes, Fast Ferry will have a testing scooter sizer to determine whether or not the scooter is small enough to board.”
Passengers who want to avoid the restriction are encouraged to use the Southworth Ferry, the Kingston Fast Ferry, or Washington State Ferries because the ban doesn’t apply.
Riders must keep any electric motorized skateboards, hoverboards, or unicycles at their seat and not stow them beneath the table at the rear of the cabin.
If you have questions, please contact Customer Service at (800) 501-7433.
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