30,000 to 50,000 electric scooters have already been sold in Australia in 2019 — yet, except for Queensland, privately owned scooters are illegal to ride in public spaces.
By Stephen Coulter & Krystyna Weston
State Governments around Australia are proving to be amongst the slowest in the world to allow the fastest growing form of mobility — electric scooters.
With visions of King Canute commanding the tide to stop, or Nero fiddling while Rome burned, Australia’s regulators are forming committees while electric scooters become common sights around Australia’s traffic-clogged capital cities.
The failure to regulate to allow privately owned scooters, which meet Australian safety and design rules, is permitting all manner of scooters to be sold. Scooters with design flaws, dangerous features, unlimited speed, unsafe batteries and chargers are being sold online and through warehouses around Australia.
Australian design rules do exist and are administered by the Federal Government. However, State Police are the enforcement point, and without clear regulation, guidelines and promotion, usage is growing without controls.
There’s also a growing number of electric skateboards, uni-wheels and other new and innovative personal mobility devices being sold and used.
States need to create a legal environment for these to be used. They can then be controlled and riders able to get insurance, if riding devices meeting Australian safety and design standards.
You can’t insure an “illegal activity” and many injuries suffered by the growing usage will result in claims against public health systems.
Australia’s major retailers are about to embark on significant promotions for electric scooters in the next month or so. Expect to see electric scooters as the cool thing to buy for spring and summer around Australia. There will be active selling by JB Hifi, Harvey Norman, 99 Bikes, Scooter Hut, Kogan and Amazon Retailers, to name just a few.
We expect over 100,000 privately owned scooters to be on Australia’s streets and footpaths by Christmas.
Allowing this to happen, without legislating for their use, will create accidents and incidents which would not occur if regulation and controls were in place.
Australian State Governments, you need to move with the times. There are 200 cities ahead of you around the world — the learnings are available.
