‘It’s our livelihood’

Scooter hire firms rail at new laws

SHOPS hiring out electric scooters along the Glitter Strip have been caught out after new laws came into effect banning motor-powered scooters from Queensland footpaths.

Yesterday the Bulletin revealed the State Government had recently changed laws so that moped-like bikes could not be used on footpaths while the motor was running.

The power-assisted bikes also had to have pedals as the primary source of power.

However, the new rules have caught out local businesses, with one Surfers Paradise owner claiming a recent order of 50 pedalpowered electric bicycles – worth more than $33,000 – was denied by Australian customs.

In correspondence with Surfers Paradise MP JohnPaul Langbroek, who has advocated for four years to improve the issue, the shop owner writes: “We have just tried to place an order with our agent and have been told that customs has changed the rules on importing these electric scooters.

“Late last year the Government actually changed the law to allow those LIME stand-up scooters to do 25km/h… compared to our (electric scooters) they have no braking system, have no protection from collision and are only allowed to be ridden on the sidewalk … yet they have stopped ours from being imported and they have front and rear brakes, horns or bells, indicators, head and tail lights with brakes lights, also rear vision mirrors.”

The shop owner said they had ordered the compliant scooters many times before without issue, adding that the scooter-hire business was their “livelihood”.

The information was forwarded to the Department of Transport and Main Roads to determine whether advice provided to shop owners in 2017 was current.

It is unclear whether the mopeds ordered breach the new laws.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads was contacted for comment.

In a social media post on Monday, Mr Langbroek wrote that he was pleased some action had been taken after “four years of campaigning, 200 pieces of correspondence and numerous letters to five Brisbane Labor ministers”.

“There is no great detail about these regulations, so I have written to the Transport Minister seeking further information for locals,” he continued.

“We don’t want regulations which mean that our hardworking police are taken away from their other jobs to supervise this issue.”

Yesterday Acting Transport and Main Roads Minister Steven Miles told the Bulletin there had been numerous complaints about high-powered mopeds putting “pedestrians and riders at risk” in the city.

“It’s now up to companies hiring out these vehicles to ensure their devices are legally allowed to be used on footpaths,” he said.

“These changes make it clear that the motor on a bike cannot operate without the rider pedalling, except to help with initial takeoff, up to 6km/h.

“The motor must cut out at 25km/h, with the rider able to pedal like a standard bike above this speed.”