Locals and tourists ‘scared’ to use Oceanway

Locals say they feel they need a “plastic arm” to fend off e-vehicles along the Oceanway, many claiming they don’t feel safe using the popular beachfront strip. SEE THE VIDEO

Locals and tourists enjoying a leisurely sunshine walk along the Gold Coast’s popular Oceanway say they often don’t feel safe and it’s “scary” using it at times.

In a straw poll of users on the Surfers Paradise beachfront stretch recently it was difficult to find anyone who didn’t feel threatened by electric bikes and scooters. It comes after Surfers Paradise residents called for immediate action to combat a string of ‘hit and runs’ with Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek calling it a “constant problem”.

Last month an anonymous resident said he had witnessed multiple serious e-scooter and e-bike incidents on the bustling Surfers Paradise stretch of the beachfront walking strip, saying electronic vehicles belong on road and bike lanes, not walkways.

People riding around with no helmets. Picture: John Gass

In a few months, an ex-regular user also said he saw a woman “taken out” by an e-scooter at the front of Breakers North in Surfers Paradise and a child allegedly hit by an e-bike hospitalised with a broken wrist near Northcliffe - both in October. Separately a woman allegedly suffered broken ribs after an e-bike collision on Old Burleigh Road in January. A small dog was allegedly “run over” by an e-scooter near La Sabbia in April.

A Bulletin online readers poll showed 81 per cent said they did not feel safe on it.

Multiple walkers along the Breakers North stretch revealed they don’t feel safe using it, when quizzed by the Bulletin on Monday last week.

Daily user Suzanne Mills said: “There needs to be more overseeing of the bikes. Then there’s the scooters, there’s the little motorbikes – there’s so many electric things coming up and down too fast.”

The Surfers Paradise resident said it could be “quite scary” particularly for the mobility impaired.

The $6.1 million City and State funded Surfers South Oceanway was designed to improve accessibility, opening up coastline access.

Locals using the Surfers South Oceanway which officially opened today.. Picture Glenn Hampson

Ms Mills said while she “loved” the Oceanway, its original purpose – particularly accessibility – was being undermined by reckless e-vehicle users.

“It’s really not at all policed - it is scary.”

Another daily user Dave Phillips called the shared path “a nightmare”.

The local said he had experienced “a lot of near misses” from e-vehicles traversing the path at high speeds.

Pushbikes were fine – but anything motorised was proving problematic, he said.

Melbourne visitors John and Joanne McCracken use the Oceanway every time they come to the Gold Coast. The husband and wife said they can see a serious accident coming a mile away.

“They are a pain in the rear,” Mr McCracken said.
“Someone is going to get seriously hurt whether it’s an elderly person, there’s people that don’t wear helmets and have young ones in the basket – if there’s an accident we could say we saw it coming.”

People riding around with no helmets on the Oceanway. Picture: John Gass

The majority of users said the shared pathway required policing or separate zones for walkers and riders.

Southport-based councillor Brooke Patterson is behind a safety upgrade to separate bike riders and pedestrians in a new plan for Broadwater Parklands.

It comes after multiple complaints regarding safety to her office.

Councillors, MPs and residents have raised safety concerns, with works underway for the Burleigh Heads Oceanway upgrade.

Originally published as Locals and tourists ‘scared’ to use Oceanway