This week, NTRO made a comprehensive submission to the Western Australia Legislative Assembly's Community Development and Justice Standing Committee Inquiry into the safety, regulation and penalties associated with the use of eRideables.
Our Safer Infrastructure Team, working with colleagues from across the infrastructure, asset, and future mobility specialty areas, prepared a detailed response to the Inquiry's Terms of Reference, addressing community concerns about this mode of transport.
Building on national expertise
NTRO's National Leader for Transport Safety, David McTiernan, highlighted the organisation's ongoing work in this space. "Over the last few years, NTRO has been actively assisting Queensland and NSW in developing policy, guidelines, and road safety risk assessments associated with planned trials for the take-up of eRideables, which includes not just e-bikes and e-scooters, but other devices such as hoverboards, e-skateboards, e-unicycles and more."
Addressing real transport needs and safety concerns
McTiernan emphasised that eRideables represent more than recreational devices. "It is clear that eRideables are not just a toy, but offer a real alternate mode of transport. However, there are concerns from the community, police, road safety experts, and advocates for pedestrians and cyclists about eRideables, not just for the impact on other road users but for the users of the eRideables themselves."
The implications extend beyond state government responsibilities. "The impact is not just at the state level. Local government traditionally provide the majority of the pedestrian and cycling infrastructure we see across our communities, and the popularity of eRideables will increase pressure on councils to provide new and expanded pathways, on-road lanes, and other measures to manage safety for all road users."
Post-COVID surge brings safety challenges
While eRideables have existed in various forms since the 2010s, there has been a significant surge in uptake post-COVID-19 as options become more readily available and affordable. Unfortunately, this increased popularity has coincided with a rise in crashes on WA roads involving eRideables, with WA paramedics already responding to 328 serious e-scooter incidents across the network.
Comprehensive approach to regulation
NTRO's submission highlighted both the benefits of eRideables and the critical need for investment in appropriate infrastructure and regulatory frameworks. The submission emphasised the importance of compliance measures that address not only rider behaviours but also device standards, citing initiatives adopted in China to help manage the safe use of the 40 to 50 million eRideable devices sold there since 2020.
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