City investigation reveals why thousands of illegal e-bike riders cannot be policed
Gold Coast council has called on parents to stop buying illegal e-bikes for children, as officials admit they're powerless to stop dangerous riding causing deaths and injuries.
Gold Coast councillors say parents need to stop their children illegally riding e-bikes, as the City “lacks a silver bullet” to stop teenage hoons causing accidents.
At a planning committee meeting on Tuesday, councillor Naomi Fowler backed a recommendation by City officers that the stategovernment, through the Queensland Police Service, continue to lead the crackdown on offenders.
Ms Fowler pointed to parents stepping up to protect their kids.
She was backed by City planning chair and Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel.
“I would like to finish by making the point that these children are not spending $10,000 themselves on these illegal devices,” Ms Fowler said.
“Parents need to take responsibility for providing illegal PMDs (personal mobility devices) to children and allowing unsupervised and illegal use.”
Mr Hammel thanked Ms Fowler for her “strong and reasonable words” and, outside the Evandale Chambers, ramped up on the City’s view that parents need to take some responsibility.
“I think what is definitely missing in this discussion so far, is where are the parents in this?” Mr Hammel said.
“These kids are not going out purchasing these items by themselves. They are being purchased by their parents.
“These parents surely must be aware that these things are a big danger and concern at the moment. I think it was right for Councillor Fowler to call out parents.
“Any kid who is injured or injures any other kid driving these devices; where are the parents and what are they doing about it?”
Councillors were told at the meeting “there was no silver bullet” for the City to solve the issue.
The Coast has at least 30,000 privately-owned e-bikes and 8000 e-scooters, an updated council report said.
The options, which were voted on, in terms of future City actions, included:
• Do nothing and continue to advocate with the state government on educating riders.
• Uplift the city’s enforcement system.
• Develop a permit system for bike riders.
• Create prohibited zones across the city for e-devices.
Officers had recommended councillors vote for the first option, because police should be monitoring offenders and any compliance system introduced would be costly and difficult to drive behaviour change.
Councillors at the committee gave their unanimous support to the officer recommendation.
Ms Fowler said the City should maintain its current approach and advocating for state-level reform.
“The power to make real impact and change sits with the State Government and Queensland Police Service,” she said.
“A parliamentary inquiry is already underway and will deliver the March recommendations by mid-next year. Acting now risks duplication and inconsistency with future legislation.”
Ms Fowler said the state inquiry was the right forum for this issue.
“They have the legislative power and enforcement capability. If we move ahead now, we could end up with conflicting rules and wasting resources,” she said.
“Also any changes we make would not only target illegal PMDs but also penalise legal and safe users of e-bikes and e-scooters. These devices are helping reduce traffic congestion and get cars off the road. We shouldn’t punish those doing the right thing.”
No ability to regulate e-devices: Report
The City investigation found council cannot regulate speeding, riding under the influence, dangerous drivers or even failing to wear a helmet.
Worse still, most of the offenders are minors — aged between 10 and 17 — and cannot be compelled to pay fines.
Offenders using e-bikes and PMDs (personal mobility devices) are “difficult to safely stop, engage for enforcement and can easily leave the area without the officer confirming any personal details”.
Other surveillance is limited because PMDs and e-bikes do not have registration or licence plates to identify users.
“In terms of enforcement outcomes, City officers do not have powers to seize, impound or dispose of a PMD or e-bike if it is associated to an offence,” officers wrote.
City planning chair Mark Hammel said the City’s local laws addressed the use of PMDs and e-bikes through signage which could stop their use in some public spaces.
Mr Hammel said QPS was best placed to regulate e-devices, and council was committed to supporting the QPS on advocacy, and developing new laws.
Police are in the middle of three-day e-bike blitz – monitoring riders outside Palm Beach Currumbin State High School – following a spate of teenager deaths and surge in crashes across the region.
It comes as Worongary boy Fudou Stovell, 15, died in an electric dirt bike crash at Broadbeach in October, while Hudson Gagg, 17, died after an e-bike crash at Tallebudgera in September.
Mayor Tom Tate has urged Premier David Crisafulli to urgently pass new laws.
The government has repeatedly insisted no changes will be made until the results of a parliamentary inquiry into the controversial electric vehicles are brought down.
But Mr Tate, in a column published in Saturday’s Bulletin said the state cannot wait that long, warning community frustration had “reached fever point” and that waiting another four months was “not good enough”.
The Queensland parliamentary inquiry into e-mobility began in March this year, and after public hearings and submissions is expected to produce its report in March next year.
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Originally published as City investigation reveals why thousands of illegal e-bike riders cannot be policed
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