E-mobility Electric Scooters Electric bicycles

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/abcnews/status/1587177145020735488

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1586950706296066049

[Cazza]

Yay, my 30 minute ride from Lutwyche to the Gabba will now take around double the time at 60 mins (now meaning a 2 hour daily commute), making this form of transport completely redundant for me!! Good thing it's coming into summer so now that I have to get up earlier and arrive home later, it will still (just) be light!

Knee jerk reactions due to a small minority of misuse is a such a poor outcome. If the problem is conflicts between pedestrians and scooters, then invest in safe and separated cycling infrastructure. I'm very respectful when I'm riding around people, slowing down as I approach and giving people a wide berth. But throwing a blanket 12km/h for all footpaths and shared bikeways is just child's play.

Why is the fact that BCC currently having no genuine active transport projects listed as planned, under construction, or completed not considered the issue here? (https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/roads-infrastructure-and-bikeways/bikeway-and-pathway-projects). Sure, a green bridge or 2 is great, but safe infrastructure around the suburbs costs barely a fraction of the price, but goes so much further (especially with the expansion of public scooters into the suburbs: https://amp.abc.net.au/article/101584472).

Makes me wonder why they don't have the same drive (if you pardon the pun) to reduce car usage, misuse and the hundreds of vehicle deaths each year in Queensland alone. That would actually provide positive economic and social benefits to communities. Plus, the consequences of misuse of cars is exponentially more dangerous than those of a scooter. Yet, I regularly see the variable speed signs through the Valley remaining at 60kms/h late on nights out . Yeah, confusing and contradicting any sort of road safety and "pedestrian safety" messages right?

These new rules are such a set back for the industry, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is a turning point in the overall success of the e-scooters up here. Discouraging the use of scooters does not make it safer. It only increases the amount of resistance and non-compliance.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TMRQld/status/1587254511017811968

[RowBro]

https://twitter.com/TMRQld/status/1587254511017811968

Why can bikes be ridden in Bicycle lanes on roads with speed limits greater than 50, but E-Scooters can't??? That makes no sense.

[ozbob]

Have you spotted e-scooters at your local busway station? A trial is currently running to help ease road congestion,...

Posted by Mark Bailey MP on Monday, 14 November 2022

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Bars, restaurants, train stations, stadiums among Brisbane's most popular e-scooter spots $

As tougher penalties for riders come into force, the most popular e-scooter routes in Brisbane have been revealed.

Howard Smith Wharves and South Bank top the lists for Brisbane's most popular e-scooter routes and favoured spots to jump on and off e-scooters.

New penalties have taken effect for e-scooter speeding, not wearing a helmet, riding while intoxicated, riding while using a mobile phone and having two or more riders on one scooter.

Neuron scooted into Brisbane in August 2019 and since then riders have racked up almost four million trips across eight million kilometres, the average rider travelling for 13 minutes across 2km. ...

[ozbob]

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/96802

Time to clean up Queensland's footpaths
14th December 2022

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Queensland paths are soon to be decluttered with the release of the e-Mobility Parking Plan, a joint initiative of the Palaszczuk Government and other members of the e-Mobility Parking Working Group.

The plan aims to improve the parking of e-scooters and other e-mobility devices, such as e-bikes, to ensure they are not left in a way which blocks paths and, creates safety and amenity issues for other path users.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said it was time to clean up our paths to create a more inclusive and accessible environment.

"E-scooters are a great way to get around, but too often I see them left in locations blocking paths which creates significant problems for people walking – especially those with limited mobility," Mr Bailey said.

"I have had to move badly parked e-scooters out of the way on several occasions, which some people cannot do like people who use wheelchairs and those with vision impairments.

"For them, it's more than a minor inconvenience. It can mean adding significant time to a trip to detour around a misplaced e-scooter.

"I urge Queenslanders to keep our footpaths and thoroughfares clear so every person can walk, ride and scoot freely."

Minister Bailey said the e-Mobility Parking Plan had been developed by Transport and Main Roads in partnership with the e-mobility Parking Working Group, which includes representation from local councils and industry as well as disability and road users advocacy organisations.

"Under the Parking Plan, trials of parking infrastructure have already started, which you may spot the next time you're at the local bus or trains station, and at key locations throughout the city," he said.

"There will also be improved communication of expectations and further education opportunities, and we'll investigate better reporting arrangements."

The Parking Plan is another successful action delivered as part of the Personal Mobility Safety Action Plan, released in June 2022. This follows a raft of new road rule changes which started on 1 November and shows the Palaszczuk Government is serious about improving the safety of e-scooter and other e-mobility devices in Queensland.

Initiatives within the plan include:

The expansion of designated e-mobility parking areas, like those popping up around the inner city
Supporting better reporting of poor parking, especially to e-scooter providers
Investigating regulation, including potential fines for those who improperly park a hire e-scooter
Improved communication and education
Brisbane City Council Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport Ryan Murphy said Council had already overseen significant improvements in parking of share scheme e-scooters and e-bikes.

"E-scooters and e-bikes are a great for quick trips and can reduce congestion on our roads, but we need to manage the clutter issue," Cr Murphy said.

"While we have set strict rules and designated parking spots for where the operators place share scheme scooters, users also need to be aware of how and where to best park these scooters to avoid inconveniencing someone else.

"We welcome the Minister's parking plan and think it's a positive thing that the State Government wants to help improve e-scooter parking."

Queenslanders with Disability Network CEO Michelle Moss welcomed the plan.

"Tackling the issue of e-scooter and e-bike parking will make a massive difference in the everyday lives of people with disabilities here in Brisbane, and right around the state," Ms Moss said.

"Releasing the parking plan today is a great start, and we look forward to working with the Government and other stakeholders on implementing these initiatives.

"If you're riding an e-scooter, please do the right thing and park it the right place. Your actions can quite literally change someone's day and their safety."

Minister Bailey said some localised e-mobility parking trials were already underway.

"Lessons learned from these trials will be critical to informing future standardisation of parking infrastructure. I encourage all local councils to continue to roll out dedicated e-mobility parking trials to help users understand where to park their devices," he said.

"It's great to see some work underway already, but more must be done. The release of the Parking Plan signals a clear intent to roll out dedicated parking spaces for e-scooters and e-bikes as a priority."

Longer-term actions under the Parking Plan include investigating standardised reporting mechanisms for poor parking as well as investigating whether there is a role for stricter regulation and road rules.

"I look forward to working with local councils and shared e-mobility providers over the next couple of years as we collectively aim to improve e-scooter parking in Queensland," Mr Bailey said.

ENDS

[ozbob]

Don't be that person who leaves their e-scooter in the middle of the footpath. Not only is it a hazard to people...

Posted by Mark Bailey MP on Tuesday, 13 December 2022

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Qld e-scooter crackdown: Tougher fines for speeding, phone use $

Police are launching a Christmas crackdown on e-scooters, with thousands of Queenslanders receiving the popular devices as gifts or snapping them up in Boxing Day sales.

Hundreds of Queenslanders have been injured or even killed since the e-scooter boom began several years ago, and police and local councils have been inundated with complaints about dangerous behaviour on footpaths and roads.

Queensland police acting Chief Superintendent Chris Stream, of the Road Policing and Regional Support Command, said officers would be targeting illegal and dangerous e-scooter riding as part of a festive season traffic blitz. ...

[#Metro]

Hospital statistics don't tell us much because they haven't been normalised to a per 10,000 trips, per million km, etc to get an idea of proportion.

The other thing are noise canceling headphones. Pedestrians are in a bubble, totally unaware of their surroundings bike bells or scooter horns.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/brisbanetimes/status/1610805952244256771

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1611467465611149312

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1611517413987856384

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1611732250059759618

[ozbob]

Sunshine Coast News --> Urgent safety reminder after series of e-scooter incidents as their popularity grows

A spate of recent e-scooter crashes has prompted an urgent safety reminder from Sunshine Coast Police.

It comes as an increasing number of underage riders over the school holidays have been flouting the law, sparking complaints from concerned residents.

On January 3 two teenagers were flown to hospital after the e-scooter they were riding crashed into a car at Alexandra Headland.

While investigations are ongoing, Queensland Police said initial information indicated that a 13-year-old Mountain Creek boy was riding an e-scooter with a 13-year-old Buderim girl as a passenger.

On January 8 a patient was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital after a crash between a vehicle and motorised scooter at Mountain Creek.

Then on January 9 a man in his 20s was taken to hospital after an e-scooter incident in Buderim. ...

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Concerns over growing number of fires linked to lithium-ion batteries in e-scooters and e-bikes

Hundreds of fires across Australia have been linked to lithium-ion batteries, which are used to power light electric vehicles like e-scooters and e-bikes.

Key points:

. Fire and Rescue NSW is responding to more than three fires every week involving lithium-ion batteries
This week, a Brisbane house fire was started by an e-scooter battery exploding

. The Competition and Consumer Commission is currently investigating the risks and regulations associated with lithium-ion batteries

. In Australia, more than 450 fires have been linked to lithium-ion batteries over the past 18 months, according to data provided by state fire departments. ...

[Andrew]

My wife and I have discussed the issue of Personal Mobility Devices (PMD's) a few times as she has an electric unicycle which she is hoping to become proficient on and use it to and from the train station. I suspect the main issue around limiting the speed is injuries. 25km/h is what someone could run at if they were reasonably fast (for reference, Usain Bolt's world record for 100m is around 37.5km/h). We both think there should be some sort of registration scheme. A token amount (say $5) for rego and then you pay CTP so if you cause damage or injury, then it's covered by insurance. The plan was to make those that are registered won't be subjected to a blanket speed restrictions. Restrictions might be in place for certain areas like speed limits. You would also have to flesh out suitable rules about protective clothes, helmets, rego plates etc.

[achiruel]

My wife and I have discussed the issue of Personal Mobility Devices (PMD's) a few times as she has an electric unicycle which she is hoping to become proficient on and use it to and from the train station. I suspect the main issue around limiting the speed is injuries. 25km/h is what someone could run at if they were reasonably fast (for reference, Usain Bolt's world record for 100m is around 37.5km/h). We both think there should be some sort of registration scheme. A token amount (say $5) for rego and then you pay CTP so if you cause damage or injury, then it's covered by insurance. The plan was to make those that are registered won't be subjected to a blanket speed restrictions. Restrictions might be in place for certain areas like speed limits. You would also have to flesh out suitable rules about protective clothes, helmets, rego plates etc.

$5 wouldn't even cover the cost of establishing and maintaining the registration scheme.

[verbatim9]

New docking stations to charge and park eScooters and eBikes

Bloomberg.com--->https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-03/with-electric-scooter-docks-lyft-aims-to-tame-sidewalk-clutter

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1630343473093115904

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

Ipswich First --> E-scooter trial set to hit Springfield streets in May

A much-anticipated e-scooter trial is expected to launch in Springfield Central next month, bringing more active travel options to Ipswich.

Growth, Infrastructure and Waste Committee Chair Mayor Teresa Harding said the six-month pilot was a welcome addition to the city's transport options.

"Residents showed strong support for an e-scooter trial when council asked for community feedback in 2021," Mayor Harding said.

"The trial is now expected to start in May, and will be operating within Springfield Central, Spring Mountain and Springfield Lakes until November.

"Council will then reassess the pilot then." ...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1652688234777022466

[verbatim9]

This could be a well worth venture, it may also encourage the Council and the State Government to fill in the gaps of the segregated cycling network.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/MarkBaileyMP/status/1665460505991958529

[verbatim9]

https://twitter.com/7NewsSC/status/1666358593460011008

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1670431900371128322

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1672290430824886272

^

... New powers would allow the Queensland government to crack down on dodgy e-scooters and faulty batteries, which have been blamed for a spate of house fires. ...

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> 2024 Olympic city Paris has banned e-scooters. Brisbane should not be next $

Paris has banned e-scooters but Brisbane, also a future Olympics city, should not follow its lead.

November 2023 marks five years since e-scooters arrived in Brisbane. They materialised on streets, literally overnight, as a result of a clever lobbying and PR campaign while authorities scrambled to update rules. ...

[ozbob]

https://x.com/MarkBaileyMP/status/1712366301052809423?s=20

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Reckless riders on footpaths, cycleways may end up in court $

E-scooter riders in Queensland will face a new offence for riding recklessly on footpaths and bike paths, under new laws proposed by the state government.

To be introduced in parliament by Transport Minister Mark Bailey on Thursday, the bill would also create new obligations for riders to assist or provide their details after a crash. ...

[ozbob]

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/98902

Next phase of e-scooter reforms announced

12th October 2023

Minister for Transport and Main Roads and Minister for Digital Services
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Next phase of e-scooter reforms announced

. New laws introduced into Parliament to improve the safety of e-scooter and other Personal Mobility Devices (PMD)

. It will be an offence for the rider of a PMD or bike to ride without due care and attention on a road-related area, such as a footpath, bike path or shared path

. The proposed laws aim to improve safety for all people using Queensland's paths and recreational areas

New laws have been introduced into Parliament today to improve the safety of e-scooter and other Personal Mobility Devices (PMD).

The proposed laws will make it an offence for the rider of a PMD or bike to ride without due care and attention on a road-related area, such as a footpath, bike path or shared path.

This law already applies on roads and the proposed change ensures careless riding will be able to be enforced on other relevant infrastructure.

The proposed laws will also better align post-crash obligations for all drivers and riders, including ensuring drivers and riders involved in a crash stop, remain at the scene, render any medical assistance to any injured person, and exchange relevant information, such as name and address details.

Currently, these obligations do not apply consistently to PMD and bike riders on roads and paths. The proposed amendments will ensure that anyone involved in a crash has the same rights, no matter where the crash occurs.

The proposed amendments also introduce protections for vulnerable people who may not be able to exchange personal information with other people involved in crashes.

This protection applies to any person who feels that exchanging their personal information may expose them to harm and allows for them to report the crash to the police instead.

The proposed laws will be considered by Parliament and commence once passed.

This next phase of e-scooter reforms follows the release of the PMD Safety Action Plan in mid-2022.

Since the release of the plan, the Department of Transport and Main Roads has delivered on 16 of the 18 actions, including a comprehensive package of road rule changes that began on 1 November 2022, public education campaigns, and high-profile enforcement blitzes with the Queensland Police Service.

These reforms are nation-leading and aim to strike the right balance between PMDs, as an emerging form of mobility, and the safety of all path and road users.

Quotes attributable to the Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey:

"I am pleased to announce the next phase in our e-scooter reforms, which build on the work we have done over the past 12-months and ensure consistency for all drivers and riders.

"Once passed, e-scooter and bike riders will have the same responsibilities as all other drivers and riders.

"This includes an obligation to ride with care around other path users and consistent post-crash responsibilities, such as calling an ambulance and exchanging details.

"E-scooters are a great way to get around, but their social licence depends on users doing the right thing.

"These new laws ensure e-scooter riders will need to play by the same rules as the rest of us and significant penalties will apply for those that ride irresponsibly.

"The proposed new laws continue to improve the safety of all path and road users in Queensland and I am proud of the nation-leading role Queensland continues to play in the regulation of e-scooters and other personal mobility devices."

Further information:

Rules for e-scooters and other PMDs can be found at www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/wheeled-devices/personal-mobility-devices

ENDS

[Jonno]

My Kingdom for a Bike/Mobility Lane!!!

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Top tourism group calls for Qld to consider e-scooter, bike-only paths

Queensland's peak tourism sector group has asked the state government to boost planning for separate e-scooter and bike-only paths to help balance their popularity with safety.

Providers of the services should also be required to educate users on road rules and collect their details to help investigations or insurance claims after a crash. ...

[ozbob]

https://x.com/RACQOfficial/status/1736911281737851235?s=20

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Police to get power to randomly breath-test e-scooter riders $

Queensland police could be granted new powers to randomly breath-test scooter riders and cyclists under a new crackdown aimed at curbing bad behaviour.

Transport Minister Bart Mellish, on his second day in the role, confirmed his department was considering amending the law to hand police the power to forcibly stop riders for a random breath test.

Under existing laws, Queensland police officers can stop a rider they suspect are under the influence of liquor or a drug, but the rider must then be placed under arrest and transported to a police station for a breath test, saliva analysis or blood test. ...

[ozbob]

https://x.com/cbdbug/status/1738463001655886102?s=20

[ozbob]

https://x.com/ozbob13/status/1776663399277183054

Couriermail --> Reckless e-scooter riders rack up thousands in fines as hospitalisations skyrocket $

Police say more than 5500 infringements were handed out to e-scooter riders in 2023, including some clocking over 90km/h, while hospitalisations also reached a record high, surpassing cyclists for the first time.

Reckless e-scooter riders are racking up thousands of fines and causing chaos on city streets with strict rules not deterring them from flouting the law and endangering the lives of hapless pedestrians.

Hospitalisations for e-scooter-related injuries reached a record high in 2023, surpassing that of cyclists for the first time with more than 100 people a month ending up in emergency departments.

Police say last year more than 5500 infringements were handed out to e-scooter riders for doing the wrong thing, with some clocking 90km/h. ...

[verbatim9]

Lime eScooters and eBikes are returning to the streets as from July this year, reports Brisbane Times.