E-mobility Electric Scooters Electric bicycles

[verbatim9]

I told you so.I told you so.I told you so.I told you so.I told you so.I told you so.I told you so.I told you so.I told you so.I told you so.

Even though electric bikes are around they will be the next trend. Scooters are popular due to their portability on trains, trams and buses as well as for easy storage at the workplace.

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Calls for e-scooter laws to change as people flout the rules and police turn a blind eye

Pressure is mounting on state governments around the country to change laws regulating e-scooters as more commuters use them to beat congestion.

The RACV is calling for a national change to how e-scooters are regulated to allow them to travel up to 25kph on roads and shared pathways, and 10kph on footpaths.

Current state laws:

E-scooters in Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory, ACT can have a maximum power output of 200 watts and cannot have the capacity to travel faster than 10kph if ridden on a road or footpath

Queenslanders are allowed a little more speed and can travel up to 25kph, but must stay on the footpath, except for local streets with a speed limit of 50kph or less

In Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales you can only ride an e-scooter on private property

South Australia is currently trialling e-scooters but only in the CBD

The calls come after an RACV survey of more than 1,400 Victorians found almost 80 per cent would consider using an e-scooter and almost 60 per cent would use one instead of a car.

The National Transport Commission is currently considering submissions on potential national laws to cover e-scooters. Individual states can then decide which rules they want to adopt.

But the final report is not due for another year and the RACV wants to see new national regulations introduced as soon as possible.

RACV senior transport manager Peter Kartsidimas said e-scooters were fast and reliable and while there was "no silver bullet", e-scooters could help combat crippling congestion in Australia's capital cities.

"Let's get things going. Most people want these scooters, let's get some national, consistent rules in the next few months," he said.

Laws already being broken

Many riders are already anticipating a law change and say even police are turning a blind eye.

Michelle Mannering co-founded the e-scooter start-up Raine with two others in Melbourne last year.

The 29-year-old sold her car shortly after buying her first e-scooter because it was so much faster and easier to use.

"It's the fastest quickest thing that will take you from A to B around the city. It's faster than driving a car, faster than public transport, faster than an Uber," Ms Mannering said.

She was "definitely" anticipating a law change and said almost everyone on an e-scooter flouted the rules anyway.

"The law is really dumb. Mobility scooters go faster than 10kph and 200 watts is an arbitrary number. Every single e-scooter on the market has more power than that. A hairdryer can have 2500 watts. Watts doesn't equal speed."

Police officers were also turning a blind eye, she said.

"I ride past multiple cops per day and they don't care. I'm sure if I was running down pedestrians or was on my phone they would but they have better things to worry about."

Ms Mannering said e-scooters were a "cleaner, greener, and safer option" than cars but agreed there were safety features on scooters that should be made mandatory.

She said ensuring e-scooters had strong lights and better brakes would fix most of the issues people were having with the device.

Moreland City Council mayor Lambros Tapinos said the council supported relaxed laws and wanted to trial a shared e-scooter scheme.

"People are buying these scooters already so we need to know what the laws are going to be around them," Cr Tapinos said.

He said Moreland would be a great place for Melbourne to trial share e-scooters and supported speeds being at 25kph.

"I think at the moment 10kph is a bit wobbly, it's safer to do a higher speed."

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Lime injuries in Brisbane higher than feared, new data reveals

THE rate of horror injuries caused by Lime Scooter accidents could be almost 30 times higher than originally believed, according to shocking new research.

The stunning revelation has led one leading lawyer to suggest the State Government should not be allowing Lime to skip registration and Compulsory Third Party insurance.

Lime has revealed about 1.8 million trips on its e-scooters were completed in Brisbane from November 2018 to October 2019, with one researcher calculating there had been 447 emergency department presentations due to Lime-related injuries during that time.

That equated to 27 emergency department presentations per 100,000 trips. In comparison, Lime estimated one injury per 100,000 trips in its New Zealand market.

"If someone crunched the numbers on the cost of these injuries to the public health system, perhaps the State Government would be thinking twice about allowing e-scooter companies to skip registration and therefore Compulsory Third Party insurance, and would instead make sure e-scooter businesses obtain public liability insurance that covers both the rider and footpath users," Lawyer Travis Schultz, of Schultz Legal, told The Courier-Mail.

"If a motor vehicle company underestimated its safety credentials by 27 times, there would be colossal community outrage from both regulators and consumers alike."

Electric scooters, like bicycles, are not required to be registered. There are rules governing their safe use including the use of helmets and speed limits, a state government spokesman said.

The research was presented by Associate Professor Kirsten Vallmuur at the Australasian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference last month.

But Mitchell Price, Lime regional director of government relations said Lime's priority was "always safety".

"We take incidents involving scooters very seriously, but these numbers should be viewed in context of alarming numbers of cycling injuries and the tragically high road toll," he said.

Queensland is the only state or territory in Australia where an electronic scooter above 200 watts can be ridden on footpaths and is the only state where riders can travel faster than 10km/h.

Contracts with Brisbane City Council require e-scooter operators to have a public liability insurance policy.

Deputy Mayor Krista Adams said the State Government was responsible for regulating the use of both private and commercial e-scooters, including driver behaviour, speed limits and helmet-use.

"Council takes the safety of Brisbane residents and visitors very seriously and wants the State Government to review the current speed limit," she said.

Moranbah mum Hayley Adamson, 29, was left with a fractured jaw, 12 cracked teeth and eight stitches in her chin after her lime scooter malfunctioned while she was riding it in Brisbane.

"The front wheel locked up and just threw me over the handlebars," she said.

"My whole bodyweight basically landed on my bottom jaw. It was horrendous, I passed out for a few minutes and when I came-to my shirt was covered in blood."

The accident happened in March but Ms Adamson said she is still dealing with her injuries nine months later.

In February she will undergo surgery to have seven teeth pulled out and five implants put in. "We are hoping that by June, this will all be over, but by then we will have spent $50,000 on my teeth," she said.

Ms Adamson said the injuries had been a huge strain on her young family.

"My partner and I are engaged and we wanted to get married sometime in the next few years but that's now been put on hold," she said.

"We'd planned on buying a house sometime this year but now that hasn't happened. It has derailed our life plan."

Ms Adamson said she was shocked e-scooters remained in use even after a string of malfunctions and injuries.

"It makes me so angry because they are aware of what's been happening," she said.

Dylan Pires is another e-scooter user who says he was forced to pursue legal help to claim loss of income as a result of his injuries.

Mr Pires, from Brisbane's north, suffered a fractured jaw, broken nose and several other facial injuries when he fell from what he said was a faulty Lime scooter in Teneriffe in April.

"It was only about a week after they claimed to have fixed the fault that I was flipped over the scooter because of the brakes," he said.

Mr Pires said Lime offered him about $5000 to assist in medical fees, which came with the agreement he would not pursue the company for any extra money.

"It was only three days after my accident that they offered that to me, but being so soon after the fall I didn't know what impact it was going to have on me long term so I didn't take it," he said.

"My medical fees were around $10,000 total, but really the worst part was loss of income, which I'm currently trying to get back through lawyers."

As the owner of food truck business King of Wings, Mr Pires said his injuries left him unable to drive the truck for months, resulting in a loss of tens of thousands of dollars.

"It would be around $40,000 to $50,000 loss of income, because I'm the only one licensed to drive one of the trucks that tows a caravan," he said.

Mr Pires said he believed that Lime should have compulsory insurance to guarantee the safety of all e-scooter users.

Shine Lawyers Solicitor Sarah Grace said injury statistics were concerning.

"These figures are shocking and need to be taken very seriously," she said.

"We are certainly seeing an increase in inquiries from riders who have been left with fractured bones and dental injuries."

"There still seems to be a lack of available helmets, people are riding two at a time, they are travelling at excessive speeds and are riding intoxicated."

Ms Grace said the holiday period would likely see a lot of people using e-scooters.

"It is likely that partygoers may choose to use a Lime Scooter as transport to or from a function," she said.

"I can't stress enough how important it is to take extra care. I have seen first-hand what happens when these scooters glitch or are ridden dangerously and the injuries are devastating."

[#Metro]

Every mode has danger attached to it. You might be walking on the footpath and then trip over a crack, break your nose and then might catch an infection while in hospital and it could get very complicated.

I think you would have to ride lime twice a day for 5 years to have experienced one injury.

How does this compare to car, or bicycle?

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Lime's new year's resolution: Get scooters on Brisbane cycle paths, roads

Lime wants to get its electric scooters on Brisbane's cycle paths and roads this year as well as strike a deal with Brisbane City Council to have more scooters rolled out across the River City.

It comes as Lime's third-generation e-scooters are set to make their Australian debut for Brisbane riders in two weeks, with the new design focused on greater stability, safety and battery life.

Lime's head of government relations Mitchell Price said the company's new year's resolutions included expanding its fleet in Brisbane and opening up more areas for them to be ridden.

"I'd like to see us revisit the discussion around infrastructure for scooters," he said.

"I'd like to actually sit down with the [Transport] Minister and the department and have a discussion about getting scooters off the footpath and putting them on the cycle paths as a start and then put them onto low-speed roads.

"The number of scooters is something we want to continue to have that conversation with [Brisbane City] Council because we think that number could be revisited.

"We would like to see a couple-hundred more scooters ourselves because the demand for scooters is skyrocketing. We haven't had a time where we haven't seen growth."

The new scooters, which Lime had hoped to roll out last year, were set to hit Brisbane in the first week of February.

The new features include a longer-lasting battery being moved to the base, an all-aluminium frame except for the plastic rear brake, mountain-bike suspension, bigger 25-centimetre tyres, reflectors on all four sides and a dual-braking system.

Lime operations manager Ian Brouckaert said the stem was also tweaked following rider feedback.

"We've had mixed reviews from customers on the length of the stem, having it slightly shorter and moving the battery to the base allows you sit a little more comfortably with the centre of gravity a lot lower as well," he said.

Meanwhile, the company continues to grapple with the issue of stolen helmets, with 15,000 taken in 2019.

"Helmets continue to be a challenge for us and for the industry and also for CityCycle. We're working on technology advancements for helmets," he said.

"We've partnered with Reid Cycles to offer users a discount on their helmets, so you can go into a store and get a 25 per cent discount when you show your Lime app and buy a helmet of your own to keep."

In June last year, Brisbane City Council selected two companies to operate 1000 scooters in the city as part of one-year contracts.

Lime was given a 400-scooter allocation, reducing its fleet from 700, and the second company, Neuron Mobility, was allowed a fleet of 600 scooters.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1265129865704960000

[verbatim9]

Brisbane City Council has extended the contracts of operators Neuron and Lime by 12 months. https://t.co/VZ3A1cpmr5 #7NEWS https://t.co/m0o0aTfJzl

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1265198996173148161

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane City Council extends E-scooter trial for 12 months

BRISBANE City Council has extended the trial of controversial e-scooters for another 12 months ahead of an expected spike in usage following COVID-19

Council first adopted the e-scooters in November 2018 as part of an ongoing trial, since then more than 2.5 million trips have been recorded across Brisbane, with some 540,000 residents using the scooters.

Public and Active Transport Chair Cr Ryan Murphy today confirmed that Council would continue that trial for another 12 months until July 2021.

Cr Murphy confirmed that trial would be geared towards connecting residents with public transport with "refreshed operating agreements to include trial last mile solutions in suburban areas and designated parking sites on footpaths".

"A lot of people are already using these e-scooters to travel to and from points in the inner-city, including transport hubs, and we see an opportunity to get more e-scooters in the suburbs so people can leave the car at home and e-scooter the distance to their nearest train station, bus stop or ferry terminal."

The announcement has triggered concerns Council opposition, with Opposition Leader Cr Jared Cassidy claiming council a "comprehensive mobility plan" in order to accommodate the trial.

Mr Cassidy cited safety concerns about "2000km or damaged and dangerous paths around Brisbane".

"There are serious safety concerns about how scooters interact with pedestrians highlights again the need for separate cycle lanes and wider footpaths in the City."

"For this to be genuinely successful we need a comprehensive mobility plan for Brisbane ... to create more pedestrian and cycling infrastructure."

The trial will extend current contract arrangements allowing Lime and Neuron to operate 400 scooters and 600 e-scooters respectively across Brisbane for the next year.

"There is the ability to add more scooters as part of the last mile trial that will be undertaken in the outer suburbs ... but they won't form part of the contract," Cr Murphy said.

"We're talking about suburbs like Eight Mile Plains, Buranda and Greenslopes."

Council revealed it was expecting 'a higher uptake in e-scooter use following the coronavirus pandemic during the Public and Active Transport Committee meeting this morning.

Cr Murphy said council was discussing with the State Government the possibility of allowing e-scooters to be used in bike lanes and on road as well as reduced e-scooter speed limits.

"That will go a long way to resolving the pedestrian conflict issues we've seen thus far," Cr Murphy said.

He said e-scooters would form a part of the evolution of the city's transport network.

Council expects Lime to roll out its generation three scooters in June after the company withdrew its fleet due to the coronavirus outbreak.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1273285733898285057

[verbatim9]

Couriermail.com.au---Lime e-scooter boss on relaunch of safer model amid coronavirus

After being yanked from Brisbane streets amid the pandemic panic, Lime scooters are set to make a return – and here's a sneak peek at the next generation.

THE new Australian boss of micro-mobility outfit Lime believes the COVID-19 crisis has radically reshaped people's approach to commuting, and will be a catalyst for expanding sharable e-scooters into other Queensland cities.

Ahead of the company's relaunch into Brisbane on Monday, Lime general manager Wendy Rattray said the international experience with the return of e-scooters was that commuters had significantly altered their habits.

Riders were hiring scooters for a third longer and travelling greater distances as they sought to avoid coming into proximity with other people for extended periods of time.

"What we are finding is that people are rethinking their ride and they are wanting something different for the transport needs," she said.
"People are looking for a safer, cleaner and more affordable way to get from A to B.
"What e-scooter gives is single passenger and that access to open air as opposed to public transport or jumping in a car.
"The second thing is the way people are using our e-bikes and e-scooters is changing. People are spending less time commuting into the CBD and using us to get around their suburbs."

Ms Rattray, who took over as Lime's Australian and New Zealand chief last month, said she was confident this demand would help convince regulators in other Australian cities of the benefits of allowing people to use e-scooters.

Lime voluntarily removed its fleet of 400 e-scooters from Brisbane's footpaths at the height of the coronavirus lockdown, while competitor Neuron Mobility continued.

Lime will return with its Generation 3 e-scooters which come with bigger wheels, a lower centre of gravity and a larger dashboard, after criticism that the previous model contributed to a spate of accidents.

Lime will also introduce helmet lock technology, after thousands were stolen, as well as new integration with the Uber app that will allow people to reserve and rent scooters through the company's platform.

"This is a huge win for us because we know the kind of reach Uber has," Ms Rattray said.

About 80 people are being hired as "juicers" to collect and recharge the e-scooters.

Ms Rattray said Lime would use its tracking technology to ensure there were additional e-scooters where people needed them to meet additional demand and altered rider habits.

Lola Burette said she loved the convenience of e-scooters, which she called the perfect tool for navigating the CBD.

[verbatim9]

It's good that they are introducing lockable helmets on the frame of the scooter as well.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Lime back on Brisbane streets with scooters spreading to the suburbs

Brisbane suburbs are where Lime will roll out its new electric scooters in the coming days, changing from the company's original CBD focus.

Lime pulled all its hire scooters from Brisbane at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, citing the risk of transmission of the virus, but on Monday began putting scooters back on the streets.

The company has a permit from Brisbane City Council for up to 400 scooters, while competitor Neuron has 600. Neuron kept its scooters on Brisbane streets during the lockdown.

Lime took its scooters and bikes from all Australian cities and New Zealand, returning to each on a case-by-case basis.

Lime's general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Wendy Rattray, said the company was bringing its newest iteration of the green-and-white scooter to Brisbane exclusively.

The next-generation 3 scooter has a larger wheel, dual braking system, and lock-in helmet technology to keep helmets with the scooter.

"The main difference is they've just got some additional safety features, a slightly large wheel and and improved suspension, just for that increased stability," Ms Rattray said.

"They're really sturdy and a really enjoyable ride."

In June, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found Lime had misrepresented its safety record to consumers.

Lime undertook to address the commission's concerns in a court-enforceable agreement, after the ACCC found Lime's Gen 2 e-scooters would sometimes apply excessive brake force to the front wheel, causing it to stop suddenly.

Serious injuries from riders were reported through the months in early 2019 when the brake locking issue was discovered, and Lime was also found not to have appropriately informed the federal government about firmware upgrades to fix the issue.

Ms Rattray said the issue was "put to bed" and Lime had met all its requirements and resolved the safety issue.

She said Lime's observations of scooter use in cities across the world during the pandemic showed people were using them more to get around their own neighbourhoods than for the daily commute.

The information prompted a stronger push to the suburbs for Lime, with more scooters to be outside the inner-city circle.

Lime uses proprietary software to identify "hotspots" for scooter demand in suburbs, Ms Rattray said, and also comes with the option to book a scooter through the Uber app, not just through Lime.

"Something that's really exciting, come the end of August, you'll be able to order your Lime scooter on the Uber platform," she said.

"The reach that Uber has with their platform is huge."

[verbatim9]

Spotted on a Brisbane City street this eve.

[verbatim9]

First dedicated shared scooter parking bay installed in #Brisbane. It will be a trial for now with one other location but a great step forward for the city. Well done @bne_lordmayor @ryansrumblings @brisbanecityqld https://t.co/MMcOh6E1QV

https://twitter.com/mitchellprice_/status/1292632652126666752

[SurfRail]

Anywhere on Adelaide St, amongst bus passengers and narrow footpaths (and especially where everybody pops up from KGS station) would have to be one of the less sensible spots.

[aldonius]

Really wish that Bird was in operation here instead of one of the other two, then we could call the parking spaces "Bird cages"

[ozbob]

[James]

Anywhere on Adelaide St, amongst bus passengers and narrow footpaths (and especially where everybody pops up from KGS station) would have to be one of the less sensible spots.

I don't think the positioning is that bad, people are turning left / right out of KGS and there's no bus stop in the immediate vicinity of that parking bay.

If you don't provide somewhere, people will just park them randomly all over the street. There's a big problem with this around South Brisbane & the Cultural Centre.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ryansrumblings/status/1299226216294002688

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> 'I had no idea what had hit me': Scooter insurance gap leaves pedestrians at risk

Almost two years since electric scooters arrived on Brisbane streets, there are warnings an insurance gap could leave pedestrians injured by e-scooters without any financial compensation.

Brisbane resident Linda Wilson says she was crossing a one-way street in Woolloongabba with her young son in June when a scooter being ridden the other way on a bikepath allegedly hit her, breaking her kneecap.

"I didn't hear it, I just felt it and I had no idea what had hit me," she said.

Two months later she is still on bed rest and has to learn to walk again, while trying to recoup some of her medical costs.

But Ms Wilson hit a hurdle when the scooter company, Neuron, told her she had to pursue the case against the rider. Ms Wilson contacted Brisbane City Council, which told her to speak to the scooter company.

Queensland police are investigating the incident but no one has yet been charged.

E-scooters must operate on footpaths in Brisbane, limited to a 25km/h limit, and banned from operating in some high-density areas such as Queen Street Mall.

A Neuron spokesman said there were "differences of perspectives" between Ms Wilson and the rider, but couldn't comment further on the specific incident. Neuron has had two reported incidents of third-party injuries needing hospital treatment since August 2019.

"All of our riders agree to abide by our terms of service before being allowed to use a Neuron e-scooter," the spokesman said.

"These clearly outline the riding rules and the rider's own responsibilities and liability when it comes to any injury or damage they may cause during their ride."

The spokesman said safety was Neuron's top priority, with all accidents recorded and analysed, and the company held "significant" public liability insurance, plus personal accident insurance for riders.

Under Queensland legislation there is no mandatory requirement for an e-scooter rider to take out third-party insurance, similar to CTP insurance for motor vehicles.

Lime is investigating a third-party insurance option for riders, similar to schemes the company already operates overseas.

The chair of the council's public and active transport committee, Ryan Murphy, said the council expected scooter companies to resolve any problems directly with riders.

"Residents' safety is our top priority and we expect e-scooter licensed providers to meet their safety obligations," Cr Murphy said.

"Like with any other mode of transport, the onus is on the driver to ensure safe operation of vehicle at all times."

Opposition deputy leader Kara Cook said the council needed to take more responsibility for the safety of pedestrians.

"It's clear that both riders and pedestrians are suffering horrific injuries, and council must take steps to ensure issues such as insurance are adequately addressed through the council contracting process," she said.

"Council has chosen to allow electric scooters in our city. It's inevitable there will be accidents, but we must ensure the public are adequately protected."

The council had three complaints of third-party injuries from e-scooters since November 2018.

Senior associate at Maurice Blackburn lawyers, Claire Gibbs, said third-party e-scooter injury risk needed closer attention.

She said Maurice Blackburn regularly fielded calls from pedestrians who had suffered injuries from e-scooter accidents, some life-changing.

"We think it's really time for greater vigilance for all stakeholders involved, and it's a matter of whether the council and the government authorities issuing the licences to Lime scooters and Neuron, that they're looking at whether appropriate insurance is in place, particularly for vulnerable pedestrians in our community," Ms Gibbs said.

"It is a safety gap. There is no safety net, there is no protection for people."

Ms Gibbs said options included scooter companies attaching a levy for third-party insurance on each hire, or a broader discussion about insurance between state and local councils, police, and users.

"I've seen a lot of car accidents in my time, but a pedestrian being struck at speed is one of the scariest things you'll witness, because they are so vulnerable," Ms Gibbs said.

"Their life is turned upside down, their whole world changes."

Ms Wilson, still on bed-rest, is now calling for a rethink on how scooters operate in Brisbane.

"They need to possibly consider reducing the speed, [scooters] are on footpaths," she said.

"To have something that can go quite quickly, should it be on the road."

Ms Wilson said since her injury she had been told of many similar incidents.

"As soon as you bring it up ... it's amazing how many people know someone who has been [injured by a scooter] and no one is talking about it."

[ozbob]

^

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1300449817051578369

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1300450193737805825

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Council wants e-scooters in bike lanes to protect pedestrians

Brisbane City Council wants to take e-scooters off CBD footpaths and allow them to use bike lanes to protect pedestrians from being struck or clipped by the popular devices.

A woman who was allegedly struck by an e-scooter in Woolloongabba in June, breaking her kneecap, called for changes to the permits governing where e-scooters were allowed and how fast they could go.

Linda Wilson was crossing a street with her son when she was allegedly hit, and she is still on bed-rest recovering.

Queensland police are investigating the incident.

The council's public and active transport committee chairman, Ryan Murphy, said the LNP administration had asked the state government to alter the legislation, saying taking e-scooters off footpaths in the CBD was a "necessary step" to better separate pedestrians and e-scooters.

"We are improving connectivity through the CBD and are currently designing a trial of safe and connected bike lanes in the city centre," Cr Murphy said.

"As part of this, we've asked the state government to remove the current ban on e-scooters using on-road bicycle lanes to allow more active travellers and residents to benefit from this initiative.

"As part of designing the CityLink Cycleway, council has established a working group with the state government to trial changes to road rules in the CBD to allow e-scooters on roads, in bike lanes."

Brisbane Times readers have contributed their own experiences and concerns about the fast-moving electronic scooters operating on footpaths, many saying the devices are too quiet and too fast to be weaving through pedestrians.

Cr Murphy said the council had previously asked the state government to review the 25km/h speed limit.

A Transport and Main Roads spokeswoman said for safety reasons riders were not permitted to travel on main roads, on-road bike lanes or on roads in central business district areas.

She said the laws introduced in 2018 to govern e-scooters provided for safe interactions "if adhered to".

"Brisbane City Council has approached TMR in relation to their CityLink bike lanes. We will work with them on their proposal and consider whether changes to the rules are required in the future," she said.

The spokeswoman said 25km/h was the maximum speed allowed under the law but it was not the speed scooters had to use.

"In many circumstances, particularly on paths where large numbers of pedestrians are present, the safe speed will be much less and may even be less than 10km/h," she said.

"Safety on our roads and paths depends on all users sharing the space safely, obeying the laws and considering the rights and safety of others.

"Under the laws, rideable users must ride in a safe and respectful manner, especially around pedestrians.

"They must keep left, give way to pedestrians, travel at a safe speed, and keep a safe distance from pedestrians."

[BrizCommuter]

Still plenty of out of control idiots on footpaths.

[Gazza]

And on the roads, and on bikes.

I think anything on wheels gives rise to idiot behaviour, but that's no reason to revert to the horse and cart.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsSC/status/1351445768297619456

[locojoe67]

E scooters are a liability nightmare just awaiting a court case. My understanding is that hire scooters dont cover the riders personal liability if they hit something or someone.

Some home contents policies will cover personally owned scooters, but they must nominated with a serial and an extra fee must be paid.

The insurance companies are reluctant  to provide coverage of a largely unregulated area, to avoid large laibility (and reinsurance issues).

Approach and use with extreme caution.

[verbatim9]

True diligence and care is needed when riding a motorised vehicle. The same goes when riding a bike.

I am all for E mobility. The uptake has been extraordinary in a short space of time nation wide.

[locojoe67]

Car and bicycle use can be insured. Uninsured use of personal mobility devices exposes the user to liability  in the event of an incident.

If you're young and broke, then no issue. Carry on.

Otherwise, consider the implications of a personal lawsuit that may cost you your house, your health and your marriage due to stress for risks that can't be insured for. Thats one of my clients.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Busted: How reckless riders are putting people at risk $

... E-scooter users across Queensland are being busted drinking booze while riding, hurtling through prohibited streets and even being towed, extreme sports-style, behind other vehicles.

The Courier-Mail can reveal more than $230,000 worth of fines have been issued to almost 2000 riders of Personal Mobility Devices – which includes Segways, hoverboards and most prominently e-scooters – over the last two years. ...

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane e-scooter use returns to pre-pandemic levels

Shared e-scooter use has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels of more than 5000 trips a day, as plans for e-bikes to join them on city streets are finalised in Brisbane City Council's strategy for the fast-growing sector.

What has been described as a "quiet revolution" comes as the number of commuters returning to public transport hovers about the 70 per cent mark and motorists endure more congestion on city roads. ...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1372571338854998019

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane's trial e-scooter fleet awarded 50 per cent bump by council

The number of e-scooters on Brisbane streets are set to jump from 1000 to 1500 under an expansion approved by the city council as residents return to the electric vehicles in droves amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scooters will also roll out to more areas of the city, including the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus and the neighbouring suburbs of Indooroopilly and Taringa, ahead the council's finalised e-mobility strategy to be released next month. ...

[aldonius]

Scooters on campus? I'm not sure entirely what will happen but I'm sure it will be spectacular. UQ's pretty big, a scooter might just be an attractive option for cross-campus travel. However, demand will be intensely concentrated in 5 minute windows.

[verbatim9]

I guess they might be able to use them on the outer ring roads and paths of the Uni campus.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane E-mobility Strategy 2021-2023 to force operators to share crash data $

As shocking new data reveals the extent of e-scooter and e-bike injuries, a Brisbane councillor has called for more regulation to prevent "chaos on our footpaths".

More than 780 hospital presentations for e-scooter and e-bike related injuries occur on average every week in Brisbane, new data shows.

The alarming figures come as the latest draft for Brisbane's e-mobility strategy would force Lime and Neuron to disclose crash data and could see e-scooters restricted in busy precincts like Fortitude Valley during peak crash times.

Data and analysis from the Jamieson Trauma Institute identified late at night and weekends were hot spots for hospital presentations for serious injuries involving e-scooters.

Between November 2018 and May 2020, more than 160 hospital presentations occurred on average on Sunday across Brisbane.

There were on average 140 presentations each Monday, and 120 presentations on Saturday. ...

[Cazza]

How about we address the root of the problem rather than just banning them for certain places or at certain times? How about we actually see more investment in dedicated bike lanes and paths? Not only will it increase pedestrian and rider safety, but it will increase the user friendliness of areas and created more people orientated environments, rather than car orientated environments. We need to be getting people out of cars in the city streets and providing more road space to bikes, scooters and pedestrians will help make that a reality and also increase the safety and environment for pedestrians too.

It took me 40 minutes to get from Ashgrove into QUT on the P384 this morning. That is way too long for a journey of only 6 odd kms. And it's clear why so many people drive, even in peak hour - our public and active transport networks are completely inadequate for what they should be achieving. It's so frustrating seeing how much potential Brisbane has to become less reliant on the car, but lack of political willpower and vision is letting us horrendously down.

[#Metro]

I'm in full support of eScooters and bikes.
I use them all the time. They fully solve the 'last mile' problem and are great for connecting with buses trains or ferries.

My only gripe is that there should be more density of them and the addition of mass designated parking for them.

They probably should also be integrated with the TL network so you don't pay twice when using them to connect to PT.

[verbatim9]

I think the e bikes will be very successfully more so than the success of the e-scooter.

[verbatim9]

If you're still getting used to the sight of hundreds of e-scooters zipping around #Brisbane's inner suburbs, you're in for a shock.

The hirable rides have proved so popular they're about to be joined by a fleet of electric bikes.
@SallyGyte
#9News

https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/status/1399642865576333312

[verbatim9]

Couriermail.com.au---Lime e-scooter boss on relaunch of safer model amid coronavirus

After being yanked from Brisbane streets amid the pandemic panic, Lime scooters are set to make a return – and here's a sneak peek at the next generation.

THE new Australian boss of micro-mobility outfit Lime believes the COVID-19 crisis has radically reshaped people's approach to commuting, and will be a catalyst for expanding sharable e-scooters into other Queensland cities.

Ahead of the company's relaunch into Brisbane on Monday, Lime general manager Wendy Rattray said the international experience with the return of e-scooters was that commuters had significantly altered their habits.

Riders were hiring scooters for a third longer and travelling greater distances as they sought to avoid coming into proximity with other people for extended periods of time.

"What we are finding is that people are rethinking their ride and they are wanting something different for the transport needs," she said.
"People are looking for a safer, cleaner and more affordable way to get from A to B.
"What e-scooter gives is single passenger and that access to open air as opposed to public transport or jumping in a car.
"The second thing is the way people are using our e-bikes and e-scooters is changing. People are spending less time commuting into the CBD and using us to get around their suburbs."

Ms Rattray, who took over as Lime's Australian and New Zealand chief last month, said she was confident this demand would help convince regulators in other Australian cities of the benefits of allowing people to use e-scooters.

Lime voluntarily removed its fleet of 400 e-scooters from Brisbane's footpaths at the height of the coronavirus lockdown, while competitor Neuron Mobility continued.

Lime will return with its Generation 3 e-scooters which come with bigger wheels, a lower centre of gravity and a larger dashboard, after criticism that the previous model contributed to a spate of accidents.

Lime will also introduce helmet lock technology, after thousands were stolen, as well as new integration with the Uber app that will allow people to reserve and rent scooters through the company's platform.

"This is a huge win for us because we know the kind of reach Uber has," Ms Rattray said.

About 80 people are being hired as "juicers" to collect and recharge the e-scooters.

Ms Rattray said Lime would use its tracking technology to ensure there were additional e-scooters where people needed them to meet additional demand and altered rider habits.

Lola Burette said she loved the convenience of e-scooters, which she called the perfect tool for navigating the CBD.

According to 9 news Lime will be phased out by late July. Which is a kind of a shock really. I thought they would of been allowed to keep their next gen scooters operating in Brisbane.