NEWS Deal on wheelie motors

THE Territory Government has quietly moved to let people who use wheelchairs fitted with high-powered electric motors keep doing so, as long as they don’t hoon above 10km/h.

Registrar of motor vehicles Simon Saunders earlier this month issued a notice exempting hand-powered wheelchairs fitted with electric motors from vehicle registration laws.

Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Department general manager of transport Louise McCormick said: “The department recognises that as technology changes, the available devices for disabled persons will also change.”

Last month Alice Springs quadriplegic Colin Dawson went on ABC radio to complain that local police had warned him the removable motor on his hand-powered wheelchair was so fast he would need to apply for motor vehicle registration or have a speed limiter fitted.

Mr Dawson’s Firefly brand motor gave his wheelchair a top speed of 25km/h – far faster than the 10km/h top speed of most motorised wheelchairs. He told the ABC giving up the device would limit his independence.

The exemption notice Mr Saunders issued means those with high-speed wheelchair motors like Mr Dawson’s won’t have to have costly speed limiters fitted.

But people doing more than 10km/h will fall foul of the exemption notice, and could face charges of driving unregistered and uninsured.

Those using the wheelchairs will also have to stick mostly to the footpath and obey rules for pedestrians.