To the editor:
Kelowna and West Kelowna are largely made up of senior citizens, many of whom are mobility challenged and use battery-powered scooters or other machines to get around (in town, in the park, or other places of interest).
I am one of those seniors, and because my wife drives me places that I am interested in going to, on my way I notice many battery-powered devices that use the sidewalks and streets, to get to stores or the malls. (There are plenty of scooters going in the malls and some stores are even providing them for customers at no cost.)
As the population gets older, scooters, or battery-powered vehicles (cars) become more abundant, charging stations will be needed.
I’m suggesting the cities start now to include AC power outlets in all new or replaced street lights, or park walkways. These AC power outlets could be added to existing light standards which would eliminate the need for new power lines, the power is already there, and a drop down line to a power outlet is all that is needed, along with a meter that must be coin operated to get power activated for a definite time, much like street parking meters are now. This would, over time, pay for the install, and allow battery-operated devices to be used more, being sure that the mobility device could be recharged when necessary.
The future city budgets could include these accessible charging stations, or future developments could be demanded to include this re-charging facility.
Ron Renneberg,
West Kelowna
