City of Perth suspends e-scooter hire in wake of fatal CBD crash

The City of Perth will suspend the hiring of e-scooters from midday on Thursday after a British tourist allegedly hit and killed a 51-year-old man in the CBD.

Alicia Kemp, 24, allegedly struck Thanh Phan from behind at the intersection of King Street and Murray Street while riding an e-scooter drunk and at speeds of up to 20-25km/h on Saturday night.

Thanh Phan, 51, died after he was allegedly hit by a 24-year-old woman riding an e-scooter.Credit: WAtoday

Phan was rushed to hospital in a critical condition, while Kemp was arrested and charged at the scene.

On Tuesday, her charges were upgraded to dangerous driving occasioning bodily harm and dangerous driving occasioning death after Phan died in hospital.

City of Perth Deputy Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds described Phan’s death as a “tragic event” and said his thoughts were with the man’s family during “this very sad time”.

“In response to the fatality, the City of Perth has suspended the hiring of e-scooters from 12pm today (Thursday),” he said.

“Over the next two days, the scooter providers will go through and collect them off our streets.

“At this stage, there is no time frame (for how long the suspension will last), we’re going through a process where we’re assisting all the relevant authorities and investigators, and once that information has come to hand, we’ll be in a situation to make a decision.”

Reynolds said he believed the City was the first in the state to suspend e-scooters following the tragedy. There were around 500 in use in the area.

Neuron Mobility, one of the major players operating e-scooter hire in Perth, said it respected the decision to temporarily ban the e-scooters while the investigation into Phan’s death continued.

“We are working closely with the council and WA Police, and our thoughts remain with the deceased’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” the company said in a statement.

“We understand this temporary pause will affect many people who rely on the service to get around the city, and we appreciate their patience.

“We look forward to resuming safe operations as soon as we are able, in close coordination with the city.”

In an emailed message to customers, Neuron wrote that its service in the City of Vincent was still fully operational and those with a Ride Pass would still be able to use it in that area, but could contact the company for a refund if needed.

A spokesperson for Beam, the other major e-scooter hire company operating in Perth, said the company “fully supported” the city’s decision and extended condolences to Phan’s family.

“We are committed to working closely with the City of Perth throughout this process. While our services are paused, we will collaborate on any steps taken to enhance community safety,” they said.

“Safety remains our highest priority, and we fully support the City’s efforts to ensure a safe and responsible shared mobility environment.”

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said e-scooter riders would be targeted in a compliance blitz over the next week to ensure they were not breaching road rules and were not being modified.

She said the blitz would look at whether the weight and the power of e-scooters have been modified beyond the regulations.

“I think the real issue is, and we’ve all seen it, that people aren’t sticking by the rules, and they’re creating dangerous situations for themselves and for pedestrians,” she said.

“There were a certain set of rules provided to make sure we could roll this out safety, but there’s been a heavy abuse of those rules.

“In my view, compliance will be very, very important to try and make sure the community have confidence with what’s happening.”

In a statement released through WA Police on Tuesday, Phan’s family called for a review of e-scooter hire regulations following the death of their “beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend” to “help prevent further serious incidents that put lives at risk.”

Kemp was denied bail when she appeared in court on Tuesday, with a magistrate deeming the risk of her fleeing the state too great.

She will return to court on July 15.

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