BASS Coast Highway Patrol are enforcing the full law when it comes to e-scooters after a period of continual unsafe and illegal riding.
Operation Annoyance, as it’s been deemed, is targeting e-scooter riders doing the wrong thing across Bass Coast and South Gippsland. Last week seven people were caught riding e-scooters illegally, a significant portion underage, with an additional three people fined for riding illegally or in an unsafe manner. One rider was caught riding on the footpath with no helmet on.
“The new laws were introduced on October 4, and since then we have worked through a phase of education and warning riders,” Bass Coast Highway Patrol Sergeant Pearce explained.
“There has been sustained reminders in the news and online around riding e-scooters safely, however, we are continuously seeing illegal e-scooters on the road and unsafe behaviours. These behaviours have seen fatalities across Australia.
“It’s simple, the warnings are over.”
Police are warning e-scooter riders that they will be caught if they are doing the wrong thing, and the fines are hefty, not to mention they can affect your vehicle driving licence.
Riding a non-compliant e-scooter will set you back five penalty units and a $1018 fine, whilst riding without wearing an approved securely fitted helmet is two penalty units and $407. Riding an e-scooter whilst using your mobile or a portable device $611, and three penalty units. Exceeding 0.5BAC or zero for prescribed drugs and expect the same penalties as motorcyclists.
“There was a big campaign locally around education,” Bass Coast Highway Patrol Leading Senior Constable Dengerink said.
“We’ve received numerous complaints about unsafe and illegal behaviour, and because of this we are specifically targeting this behaviour before someone is seriously injured or killed.”
“The team will be out and about for a sustained period throughout August,” Sergeant Pearce added noting investigations remain ongoing surrounding e-scooter activities in Cowes recently.
Doing the wrong thing, expect to get caught.
Know someone doing the wrong thing? Dob in an e-scooter rider at Crime Stoppers.
