Visually impaired man injured after tripping over abandoned e-scooter in Aalborg

A 53-year-old visually impaired man in Aalborg suffered a serious leg injury after tripping over an abandoned rental e-scooter, prompting a local politician to call for stricter regulations on scooter parking, reports Danish broadcaster DR.

Jesper Blynel, who has the eye condition retinitis pigmentosa, fell over an e-scooter left lying on the pavement in Reberbahnsgade. The impact caused a deep gash in his shin that bled heavily.

“I’m obviously annoyed that someone just left it dumped in the middle of the sidewalk—and maybe also a bit annoyed that no one picked it up, they just walked around it,” Blynel told DR. “I fell forward onto my hands and hit my shin. When I got home, I saw it was bleeding quite badly.”

Blynel, who describes his condition as “tunnel vision,” said he is used to bumping into objects but that this was the first time such an incident had caused serious injury. He also expressed concern for other visually impaired or elderly pedestrians who could be harmed by scooters left on pavements.

Company responds to criticism

VOI, the Swedish company operating the e-scooter rental scheme in Aalborg, issued a written statement expressing regret over the incident.

“Parking and traffic safety are our top priorities at VOI,” the company said. “The vast majority of our users park responsibly, but we have in-depth measures to counter cases where this does not happen. We continuously work to ensure our vehicles remain neatly and orderly parked through user education, geofencing, and in-app guidance, as well as via our dedicated team, who daily reposition incorrectly parked vehicles.”

VOI added that repeat offenders who park irresponsibly risk fines or exclusion from the service. The company stated it would follow up on the case with Aalborg Municipality.

Politician demands faster cleanup

City council member Lasse Olsen (Enhedslisten) said poorly parked e-scooters are a persistent problem in Aalborg, sometimes posing a hazard.

“I’ve noticed they often lie abandoned for a long time before being removed. If you want to run a business, you also have an obligation to clean up after yourself,” Olsen said.

He has requested that the city’s technical and environmental committee address the issue, exploring ways to tighten regulations and ensure the company removes scooters more promptly when they are left obstructing public spaces.