Thursday, 23 June 2022

Electric vehicles

Mr QUILTY (Northern Victoria) (17:51): (2018) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. Personal e-scooters are still illegal to ride on public roads and footpaths in Victoria. In the Melbourne CBD you can hire one from Lime or Neuron, but if you are anywhere else or if you use your own e-scooter you risk a fine of up to $909. The problem is that our regulatory and road safety systems are designed to ban everything and then to make exceptions for approved vehicles. From the government’s perspective, everything that is not currently allowed is bad, risky, dangerous and a problem. This attitude is distinctly anti-innovation. It is a Luddite view of the world that sees improvement and progress as a bad thing.

E-scooters and e-bikes are a lot like pushbikes. We are not talking about some far-flung, world-warping alteration of the fabric of society. They have not split the atom; they have attached a small motor to a frame. They are not even motorised eskies, although perhaps we should be talking about them as well. It is embarrassing that this government cannot find a way to allow these devices to operate safely. Many people who are keen on e-scooters are using them anyway. Despite bans on their use, there are no bans on their sale. People using these devices are cutting down costs, saving time and reducing their environmental impact. We should not have to wait 12 months to determine if the current rules are too strict; we know they are too strict. Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT have legalised private e-scooters, and the sky has not fallen. The action I seek is for the minister to change the road rule regulations to allow the practical use of e-scooters and e-bikes in Victoria.