WILL someone please explain to me how on earth the new Zipp electric scooters currently being seen on the streets of Taunton in any way contribute to saving the environment, reducing traffic congestion, or realistically helping residents?

All I have witnessed since their introduction recently is young people joyriding through Vivary Park or generally riding one for an hour's fun around town.

My understanding is that these vehicles are for use strictly on the highway, not on footpaths or pavements.

The environmental cradle-to-grave cost of these machines - aluminium, steel, lithium/ cobalt battery (and all that that implies), synthetics for tyres etc - far outweighs any minimal benefit they are supposed to provide, while also threatening to become a public nuisance.

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Interestingly, on the Zipp website there is no information on the unsustainable materials used in the scooter construction, I've needed to research elsewhere to confirm this.

Yet again this misguided, so-called environmentally-friendly council wastes more public money on a useless, ill thought-through scheme which is no more than a publicity stunt for their green agenda.

Send these machines back to their supplier in Ireland and let's have some proper traffic management with adequate parking and public transport.

RON SMITH
Taunton