What you said on Qld e-scooter reforms after two deaths in days
Calls continue to grow for the banning of e-bikes but the war of words is just heating up. HAVE YOUR SAY
Cracking down on e-bikes … or parents cracking down on their kids?
These are among the most popular choices when it comes to what action next needs to be taken following the tragic spate of incidents on e-bikes across Queensland.
Premier David Crisafulli has so far resisted pressure to fast-track urgent reforms for the controversial e-mobility devices despite the deaths of a teenager and a young boy within days of each other.
Mr Crisafulli declared “change is coming” as calls for action before Christmas grew, with bikes at the top of many children’s wish lists.
On Sunday the Premier remained steadfast, saying a parliamentary committee overlooking an inquiry into e-scooters and e-bikes must do its job, signalling no major changes would be made before the report is handed to the state government in March.
This includes the possibility of imposing a minimum age limit of 16 for riders of all e-mobility devices as an interim solution.
Just two days after a eight-year-old Zeke Hondow was killed in an e-bike collision on the Sunshine Coast, a 15-year-old Gold Coast boy died after crashing an electric dirt bike near a Broadbeach pedestrian crossing in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Six weeks ago, 17-year-old Tallebudgera teenager Hudson Gagg died after the e-bike on which he was a passenger collided with an SUV.
There has been a total of 10 deaths in Queensland this year, and pressure is growing on the state government to fast-track its long-awaited crackdown on e-bikes.
Mayor Tom Tate, who last month wrote to Mr Crisafulli demanding change, said the latest tragedy, along with the spate of similar recent incidents, made acting before Christmas a must.
Readers were quick to pile into the debate, with many instead taking aim at parents for choosing e-bikes.
Others, however, said it’s up to us all to resolve the issue, while some claimed there remained wider concerns that need to be addressed.
About 70 per cent of readers in an online poll voted for a crackdown on e-bikes in Queensland.
See what you had to say below and join the conversation >>>
WHAT YOU SAID
It’s up to us
Pam
Why do governments have to solve everything? What role do parents have in this saga?
Barry T
Why do parents need a law before they act?
R
Here’s an idea. How about parents stop buying or letting kids buy and ride these contraptions…..problem solved.
issy
Electric motorbikes already require a licence and registration. Parents must be held responsible for giving them to children.
David
Parents lost control the day children were told they have rights and their parents can’t touch them. Just to put the ice on the cake they were told that police can do very little either. Take their rights off them and take control back.
Time for change
Scott
The big problem is that we don’t have any hard and fast laws. I’ve seen people post about current laws not allowing this or that but none of it is true. Unfortunately our laws are always catching up to technology.
Robert
Please ban them from footpaths
Alice
How on earth did it ever become legal to have spindly contraptions running at 40km/h+ on footpaths and roads? Even more crazy because they are unregistered, no CTP, and driven by kids … madness.
Nick
Let’s be clear on this … There’s a difference between e-bicycles and e-motorbikes. It’s e-motorbikes needing to face a crackdown.
Wider issues
Zee
The bikes & escooters that aren’t compliant with the law keep coming in through customs. Why aren’t they stopped there?
just do it soon
how are any rules going to be enforced? We don’t have enough cops now to handle growing crime.
john
We have existing laws / pedal assisted are mopeds and no pedals are motorcycles – e-scooters have specific legislation too – police need community support to enforce them.
Steve
Looking more like Queen Anna every day, who had a review for everything. How many lives will be lost in the next 5 months? It’s called governing Premier.
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Originally published as What you said on Qld e-scooter reforms after two deaths in days
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