Stressed park users ramp up campaign on Government to stop bike hoons
Furious Gold Coast residents are demanding action before someone ‘gets a flogging’ as frustration builds over the behaviour of suburban bike hoons. WHAT DO YOU THINK? VOTE IN OUR POLL
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Stressed Gold Coast hinterland residents warn it “is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt” as the State Government faces more pressure to crack down on bike hoons.
Community groups have written to the Government calling for compulsory registration and speed restrictions, as residents say they fear for their safety.
The most recent footage, posted on the Mudgeeraba Community Connect Facebook page, shows a confrontation between a park user and teenagers at Somerset Drive, sparking concerns about vigilante action.
A resident in a response wrote: “It’s only a matter of time before someone grabs one of them and gives them a flogging.”
A couple added that grass was being torn up in the parks every day from the bike hoons.
“It wouldn’t take much to knock someone over – it’s getting out of control,” the resident wrote.
A long-term Mudgeeraba resident said they had “worked hard to buy a house here and can’t even go for a walk without being terrorised”.
A mother of young children said: “My kids don’t go to the park anymore because of them. There are a few others on the electric bikes that have terrorised my children and their friends.”
A report earlier this month detailed how the families of two young boys left seriously injured after being struck by e-bikes at a southern Gold Coast park were demanding an urgent review.
On January 4, a five-year-old boy and his family were in Tugun about 6pm when the youth was allegedly hit by an e-bike travelling 40km/h. He was dragged 20m along the pathway.
Paramedics took the boy to John Flynn Hospital and he was later transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital.
In a separate incident on December 7, Coast resident Alyson Woodley took her four-year-old son, Archer, to the same Tugun park. Police later began investigating after Archer was allegedly hit by an e-bike at around 10am.
The spotlight was again put on e-bikes after hospitality boss Howard Wright was issued with a $645 fine and incurred three demerit points for driving without due care and attention following a controversial crash at Paradise Point on January 6. A 12-year-old was knocked from his bike near Salacia Dr in the incident.
Friends of Currumbin have responded to the southern incidents by sending an “urgent letter” to Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg about the need for law reform on e-bikes.
Peter Kershaw, the group’s president, said the rise in e-bike and e-scooter usage coupled with their capability to reach speeds exceeding 70km/h has led to a significant increase in accidents and near misses.
The current regulatory framework, which relies on voluntary compliance with speed limits and safety measures, was wholly inadequate, he said.
“Local councils and police lack the resources to enforce existing rules effectively, leaving our community vulnerable,” Mr Kershaw said.
The Government is being asked to introduce:
* Compulsory Registration and Licensing: All e-bikes and similar devices should be registered, and their riders licensed to ensure accountability and promote adherence to traffic laws.
* Mandatory Third-Party Insurance: Introduce a requirement for e-bike owners to carry third-party liability insurance to cover damages or injuries resulting from collisions.
* Speed Restrictions and Geo-Fencing: Implement stricter speed limits on shared pathways and use geo-fencing technology to enforce compliance.
* Designated Usage Areas: Restrict the use of high-powered e-bikes to specific bike lanes or roads, prohibiting their operation on pedestrian pathways.
* Educational Campaigns and Enforcement Resources: Allocate funding for public awareness campaigns and equip police with the necessary tools and manpower to enforce the new regulations effectively.
“These measures will not only safeguard pedestrians, especially vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly, but also help responsible e-bike riders operate their devices safely. The tragic incidents in Tugun serve as a stark reminder that without legislative action, we risk more lives being shattered by preventable accidents,” Mr Kershaw said.
The Bulletin is seeking a response from the Minister.
WHAT YOU SAID
Do we need tougher restrictions on e-bikes? Here’s what you said on Facebook:
SO BADLY! My three-year-old has almost been hit about five times on the Esplanade around Burleigh, it’s a joke. Brooke Stafford
Build better bike tracks, it’s a cost effective way to travel. Ride a bike around the Gold Coast and you will see most biketracks stop and mix you onto the traffic that is far more dangerous. Daniel Rooshy
Yes, been nearly knocked over a number of times. Tracey Isles-Morrissey
No, we don’t need more laws. The ones we have are perfectly fine. What we have is a lack of enforcement. Every day I watchkids on E bikes popping wheelies past cop cars whilst the cop sitting in the car does absolutely nothing. Start with enforcingthe current laws. Daniel Francis
These bikes are like a small version of a motor bike. No one under the age of 17 should be on the roads with them and theyshould have to be registered and the rider licensed. Have had so many close calls with them it’s not funny ….. and most haveno helmet. Sharon Mary
Absolutely ... get rid of them all. They seem to think it’s okay to ride them through malls, shopping centres and main roads.Charli Alli McKenzie
If they ride on the road faster than a push bike then yes maybe a licence, but more importantly I think that they need tohave a registration plate – they need to be accountable for their bad decisions on the road. Also I have seen so many runred lights, cut across traffic and are nearly invisible with no lights during night-time which is also a requirement for pushbikes. Cherrie Batten
More restrictions don’t work unless you can enforce them. The police can’t police real crimes so how are they going to catchthe few numbers of young riders breaking the current e-bike laws? Gary Peacock
Most definitely. These “bikes” are more powerful than a proper scooter, and yet the scooter is required to be registered andthese “bikes” don’t. Just today, through Robina there were six of them on Robina Parkway, and not one required to be registered.Anyone figure this out why?Gary Lock
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Originally published as Stressed park users ramp up campaign on Government to stop bike hoons
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