City of Perth suspends e-scooters after a pedestrian was struck down and killed by a allegedly drunk rider
A major city has suspended the hire of e-scooters after a pedestrian was knocked down and killed by an alleged drunk rider.
WA News
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The City of Perth has suspended the hire of e-scooters after a pedestrian was knocked down and killed by an alleged drunk rider on Saturday night.
Thanh Phan, 51, died from a brain bleed on Tuesday after he was struck from behind by an e-scooter at the intersection of Murray and King St about 8.40pm last Saturday.
British backpacker Alicia Kemp, 24, was taken into custody at the scene.
Police allege she was under the influence of alcohol with a 26-year-old passenger, before she hit Mr Phan.
Her charges were upgraded to dangerous driving occasioning bodily harm and dangerous driving occasioning death after Mr Phan died.
He is the first pedestrian to die in WA from an e-scooter incident.
Following the tragic incident, the City of Perth suspended the hire of e-scooters from midday on Thursday.
Deputy Lord Mayor Brian Reynolds told the ABC it was “appropriate” for the council to suspend e-scooter rentals in response to the “horrible” incident.
“This is a tragedy on all levels … our thoughts are with the family and other extended family and friends,” he said.
“Information is coming to hand in every moment but, in our first instance, our responsibility is to act responsible in a respectful manner.”
Mr Reynolds said the City would make a final decision once they had collected all the information they could and looked at the data around the events that led to the tragedy.
WA Premier Roger Cook also told ABC Perth it was an appropriate response from the City and while e-scooters were a great way to move around and enjoy communities, there had to be regulations in place.
“We know that e-scooters are a regular feature of major cities right around the world and a way that people move around the cities,” he said.
“We have to make sure that it’s safe and I think the council is moving in an absolutely appropriate way.”
According to the Australian Medical Association WA president Michael Page, at least one person with major injuries caused from e-scooters presented to the Royal Perth Hospital’s trauma unit each day.
Dr Page told NewsWire there had been increasing rates of patients with really serious traumatic injuries being admitted to WA’s major trauma unit for the past couple of years.
He said people were being admitted with serious head injuries, bone fractures, life altering injuries and sometimes fatal injuries.
“It’s really a scourge in terms of injuries in our society and the problem with these council endorsed private hire e-scooters in city centres is people are hopping on without any experience riding e scooters,” he said.
“They’re often intoxicated. They might be riding at night. They might not be wearing proper protection and and so the chance for something to go wrong is, is very, very high.”
While the AMAWA are not calling for a total ban of e-scooters, he said hire scheme endorsed by councils to activate city centres and bring vibrancy were a risk
“The question really has to be, does the benefit outweigh the risks when we’re seeing deaths and many injuries?” he said.
“If I were a city councillor, I’d be very worried about my own liability in terms of allowing these things to happen in a city where I’ve got a duty of care towards the people who live, work, recreate and tour through my local government area.
“Do they need any more information or investigation findings before saying, look, this is probably not a good idea to continue with in the long term?’
“They are dangerous you’ve got plenty of evidence from other cities around the world, other countries around the world, from across WA that these schemes are not very safe.”
Shadow Minister for Road Safety Nationals Julie Freeman said WA’s e-rideable laws were no longer fit for purpose.
She called on the WA Government to urgently strengthen regulation of e-scooters and enforce existing laws.
“E-scooters can play a valuable role in urban transport,” she said.
“They’re convenient, affordable, and provide an alternative to cars for short trips, but they must be properly managed and regulated to keep all road users safe.
“The rules we do have are being widely ignored, and compliance is almost non-existent.”
On Tuesday, Mr Phan’s family and friends issued a statement calling for more governance and regulations around hired e-scooters to prevent further serious incidents and lives risked.
“We received the heartbreaking news that Thanh passed away as a result of his injuries,” the statement read.
“On Saturday night, Thanh Phan – a beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend – was struck by an electric scooter and critically injured.
“We also call for a review of the governance and safety regulations surrounding hired e-scooters to help prevent further serious incidents that put lives at risk.”
Neurone Mobility, which supplied the City of Perth with e-scooters, said they respected the decision to temporarily suspend the service while the investigation into this tragic incident 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,” a Neurone spokesman said.
“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.”
Originally published as City of Perth suspends e-scooters after a pedestrian was struck down and killed by a allegedly drunk rider
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