Sunshine Coast Council’s e-scooter plan shot down by business insider

The Sunshine Coast Council is pushing for speed-limiting devices on e-scooters but an industry insider says there are better alternatives to curb risky behaviour.

The Sunshine Coast Council is pushing for speed-limiting devices on e-scooters but an industry insider says there are better alternatives to curb risky behaviour. Picture: David Clark

The Sunshine Coast Council is mounting a push on the state government to put speed-limiting devices on private mobility devices including e-scooters.

But an e-scooter business owner said education and “hitting people in the wallet” were key to curbing bad behaviour.

Documents showed the council intends to raise the issue at the Local Government Association of Queensland’s annual conference in October.

But the council had to endorse the motion before it was submitted to the LGAQ, which it did at its monthly meeting held today, July 24.

Councillors passed the motion unanimously.

Sunshine Coast Council staff have already given the plan the green light. Picture: David Clark

The documents stated the council would pitch the motion that speed limiters should be required for personal mobility devices including e-scooters, e-skateboards and self-balancing single-wheel devices like e-unicycles and e-boards.

If accepted at the conference, the LGAQ would call on the state government to introduce “device limitations and standards”, which would improve safety for “device users, motorists and pedestrians” and increase the use of active and e-transport options.

The Sunshine Coast Council says the speed-limiting devices would improve safety for users, motorists and pedestrians. Picture: David Clark

Councillor Taylor Bunnag said the number of injuries caused by the devices indicated it was important to support the motion.

Councillor Joe Natoli also supported the motion.

Mr Natoli said the “grief” was being caused by private e-scooters and not the council’s trial.

Councillor Ted Hungerford said he had been passed on the road by the devices at 60 or 70kmh.

“These people go through red lights and everything … and I’ve nearly been knocked over on the path just walking,” he said.

The documents stated that “personal mobility devices” would continue to play an important role in transport and although the state government had introduced “legislative controls” regarding their use, the enforcement of those rules were “resource intensive” and expensive for councils and the Queensland Police Service.

An RACQ report showed that between January 2019 and September last year there were more than 3000 presentations to emergency departments in the state due to e-scooters.

The top five hospitals dealing with injuries included Bundaberg and Rockhampton hospitals.

Oggy E-Scooters director Kate Ogg said rather than a speed-limiting device, educating teens on their use of e-scooters was one way of addressing the issue.

The Sunshine Coast-based business was in the final stages of launching a safety program that would roll out in high schools by the end of the year.

“They’re so risk-tolerant, kids, and they don’t have that natural ability to assess risk like an adult would,” she said.

The business director said illegal devices were “already getting through” border control and sales in retail and one of the best ways to change behaviour was “hitting people in the wallet” and impounding illegal devices that went more than the allowable wattage or more than the speed limit.

She said, of the speed-limiting device plan, that if the state government had to pay for it “they won’t do it”.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast Council’s e-scooter plan shot down by business insider