The Queensland government has said police will crack down on e-scooter riders before the introduction of a suite of safety measures.
key points:
- The changes were initially announced in February.
- Police will take action against wrongdoing riders till November
- They’ll Target Drink Riders in Safe Night Precincts
Transportation Minister Mark Bailey announced changes to the flagged e-scooter rules in February, which will take effect November 1.
In the changes, riders’ speed limits on most sidewalks will be reduced from 25kph to 12kph.
E-scooters would need to be equipped with a bell – or similar warning device – and penalties for misdemeanors would also increase.
Penalties, not yet detailed, are for high-risk offences, such as speeding, using a mobile phone while riding and riding on prohibited roads.
Mr Bailey said police would accelerate statewide efforts to enforce e-scooter crimes in the coming weeks, hoping to change that.
“What we see is that most of these scooter riders are doing decent things in terms of speed, yet we see some private scooter riders doing well over 25kph,” he said.
“I’ve seen it myself, they might be doing 45, 50 too – that’s the equivalent of someone driving a car at 150 because it’s not safe for other road users.
“If you’re one of those people who’s doing stuff like this, and thinking you’re going below the radar, well, it’s only a matter of time before you get caught — and if your device is non- There’s compliance, so we’re looking at the provisions there as well,” Mr Bailey said.
Brisbane City Road Policing’s Acting Sergeant Duncan Hill said a targeted operation to nab up-and-coming e-scooter criminals operating in Brisbane’s CBD will begin on June 20.
“At peak hours, we are finding that there is a time of confluence and issues between the riders and pedestrians of the PND,” he said.
“We will then move into our Safe Night Precinct, targeting users in those areas, specifically addiction and speed.
“Over the next month, we will start moving to the regional areas where these scooters are currently.”
Between March 2021 and February this year, the number of people caught riding without helmets stood at 1,824, while 31 people were caught using mobile phones.
He said that the police are fast tracking the drinkers in the entertainment area of the state.
“There are more incidents happening within our city limits where people are riding drunk PND (e-scooters), and this is creating a problem for them and our hospitals,” he said.
He said, while Brisbane Council’s initiative to lock Beam and Neuron e-scooters into the city’s entertainment complex between 12am and 5pm on weekends, violations of e-scooters had reduced, the number much higher. doing.
“The way a lot of people are riding [e-scooters] While intoxicated, and they themselves are often putting that passenger – illegally – at risk,” Sergeant Hill said.
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