The Safe Night Precincts, which includes Fortitude Valley, will be among the target areas of an e-scooter crackdown operation underway in Queensland.
Read: On-Street Parking Meters Now Back in Use
The blitz, which commences on 20 June 2022, aims to crack down on people riding in a dangerous manner, which might mean speeding, using a mobile phone, carrying passengers or not wearing a helmet.
Authorities will focus on riders coming to and from work in Brisbane’s CBD and will then move to the Safe Night Precincts (SNP), where they will target drink riders before targeting other areas in the region.
SNPs were created as a Queensland Government initiative to reduce late-night drug and alcohol-related violence.
According to the Brisbane City Road Policing, more incidents have been recorded within the city precincts where people are driving riding e-scooters whilst intoxicated, and this is causing a problem for them and the city’s hospitals.
The region-wide operation is expected to last until November 2022, when the new e-scooter rules will be officially implemented.
The reforms will see speed limits slashed on footpaths from 25 kilometres an hour to 12kph, mandating warning devices (like bells), enforcement of non-complying devices, increased penalties for high-risk offences, and clearer signage where e-scooters can be or can’t be parked.
The Queensland Government will also roll out an education campaign focusing on rider safety, wearing a helmet, how to overtake pedestrians and how to park e-scooters.
When it was first announced in February 2022, police conducted an operation targeting personal mobility devices in Brisbane City and Fortitude Valley areas. Around 84 people were issued traffic infringements and the majority of them failed to wear a helmet without an exemption.
Based on the State Government’s rules on personal mobility devices or rideables, it’s a must to wear an approved bicycle helmet that is securely fitted, at all times, unless an exemption has been granted for medical or religious reasons.
E-scooters are being reminded to follow the rules and stay vigilant on the road, as tougher penalties will be in place for high-risk offences, such as speeding, using a mobile phone while riding, and riding on prohibited roads.
