Vandals caught on CCTV riding e-scooter down car outside Hobart hotel

Police are investigating an incident where youths rode an e-scooter on top of a car, with the Premier warning it takes only one or two people “to put the whole program at risk”. SEE THE VIDEO >>

THE Premier’s message to those in Launceston and Hobart who plan to misuse the newly introduced e-scooters is simple: “Don’t be a bloody idiot.”

On Wednesday, the Mercury reported an incident on Friday where a small group of young men were captured on CCTV riding an e-scooter on top of a parked car at Hobart’s waterfront precinct.

Premier Peter Gutwein, who said he had seen the footage, urged the public to use the new scooters responsibly.

“They are, I think, a welcome addition to the state but it only takes one or two to put the whole program at risk,” he said.

The CCTV footage shows the young men hoist the scooter onto the roof of the car before one proceeded to ride down.

A vandal rides an e-scooter down a car while his friend films.

A Tasmania Police spokeswoman on Wednesday confirmed the incident was being investigated.

“Police are investigating an incident on Brooke Street in Hobart Friday night where a parked car was damaged,” she said.

“Around midnight, suspects placed an e-scooter on the roof of a parked car and rode the scooter down the windscreen and off the bonnet.

“Damage was caused to the roof and bonnet of the car.”

Tasmania Police urges anyone with information in relation to the offenders involved to phone police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 (quote reference number OR675450).

Late-night e-scooter act shocks Hobart business

Young men have been caught on CCTV camera riding an e-scooter down the roof and bonnet of a car in a senseless act of vandalism.

The shocking act was filmed outside of a Hobart hotel at around midnight on Friday, the very same day the e-scooters were rolled out in Tasmania.

Footage obtained by The Mercury shows a group of four young men walking down the road, one of them manually pushing along an e-scooter.

Two of the young men then hoist the e-scooter onto the car, and one of them jumps onto the roof while the other films the act on their smartphone.

The man on the roof then rides the e-scooter off the roof, down the windscreen, and onto the bonnet, causing damage to the vehicle in the process.

A hotel staff member said they were horrified when they checked the CCTV footage the next morning.

“When I first saw the footage I was devastated that such a new initiative to attract people to the waterfront was being used in such a reckless manner,” they said.

“We’re quite surprised these have been allowed out overnight, especially on Cage Night at Salamanca which attracts a lot of young patrons.”

The footage has been handed over to police, who are investigating the incident.

A spokeswoman from Tasmania Police told the Mercury the incident was being investigated.

“Police are investigating an incident on Brooke Street in Hobart Friday night where a parked car was damaged,” she said.

“Around midnight, suspects placed an e-Scooter on the roof of a parked car and rode the scooter down the windscreen and off the bonnet.”

“Damage was caused to the roof and bonnet of the car.”

Hobart City councillor Marti Zucco said this was more evidence that the e-scooter trial was a bad idea for the city.

Cr Zucco said he was the only councillor to have voted against this idea, and that he’d always known something like this would happen.

“In theory they are a very good idea, but in practice they are an abomination for our city,” Cr Zucco said.

“I have had a number of complaints of people not being able to access their footpaths like they used to. The ratepayers of Hobart are subsidising this problem.”

Councillor Bill Harvey said this was a criminal matter, and therefore in the purview of police and not council.

Cr Harvey said this was a vandalism issue, not an e-scooter issue, since such crimes had happened before on Cage Night.

“There’s been a lot of incidents at Salamanca, especially on that Friday night with its alcohol-charged atmosphere,” Cr Harvey said.

“The council is not the police force. People need to take responsibility, and if people break the law, it needs to be dealt with through the legal process.”

A Beam e-scooter was found dumped in the Hobart Rivulet over the weekend. Picture: Supplied

In a separate incident, a Beam e-scooter was found dumped in the Hobart Rivulet over the weekend.

Beam’s head of communication Michelle Leong said they had a team of marshals who kept an eye out for such behaviour, and that there were hefty fines for such acts of vandalism.

Ms Leong said they worked with police, businesses’ CCTV footage, and their own technology to track down offenders.

“It is not a common occurrence that riders do the wrong thing, but it does happen. When it does, our marshals – who are on the streets 24/7- jump into action,” Ms Leong said.

“Thanks to Beam’s technology, we are able to pinpoint a vehicle’s location should it try to leave the geofence, or be tampered with. The marshals then head to that location to recover the vehicle.”

Tasmania Police ask anyone with information in relation to the offender/s involved to phone police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 (quote reference number OR675450)

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