Police issue 90 tickets in eight hours in e-scooter crackdown

An e-scooter rider was clocked travelling at a ‘fatal’speed on a Story Bridge footpath during a massive police operation that resulted in 90 fines in eight hours.

Queensland Police have issued more than 90 penalties over an eight-hour period to e-scooter riders on Brisbane’s Story Bridge in the latest crack down on rider safety following months of serious injuries and complaints.

Fifteen police officers attached to Operation Victor Charm targeted speeding and dangerous behaviour during the peak-hour operation on May 11.

North Brisbane District Highway Patrol Senior Constable Duncan Hill said the numbers were disappointing.

“The Story Bridge was chosen due to complaints from the public about the speed and behaviour of some e-scooter riders,” Senior Constable Hill said.

“Increasingly, we’re seeing e-scooter riders suffer serious injuries when they come off — with excessive speed almost always a factor.

Queensland police issued dozens of fines during a crackdown on e-scooters in Brisbane’s CBD. File picture

“On a weekly basis, we are seeing riders suffer broken bones, lose teeth and sustain concussions — in almost every case, their crash was preventable if they’d followed the speed limits of 12km/h on footpaths and shared paths and 25 km/h on all other bike paths and roads.”

One rider was allegedly caught travelling at 40km/h on a footpath, with Senior Constable Hill naming the speed as “fatal.”

“E-scooters can be a fun, sustainable and low-cost transport option, but riders must be responsible and ensure they’re keeping to the speed limit, wearing a helmet, not using a mobile phone or doubling another user.”
E-scooter riders if caught over the alcohol limit, can also face similar penalties as if you were behind the wheel of a car. “Think twice before drink riding on a night out – you could face court, receive a fine of thousands of dollars and lose your driver’s licence,” Senior Constable Hill said.