The Western Australian Government will launch a new parliamentary inquiry into the safety of e-mobility devices, following the death of a pedestrian in an e-scooter crash.
Perth father Thanh Phan, 51, died in May after being hit from behind by English backpacker Alicia Kemp, 24, riding a hired e-scooter under the influence of alcohol.
Police allege Kemp was riding the e-scooter in an "inexplicably dangerous" manner at speeds of up to 25km/h when she hit Phan on the footpath of Murray Street in Perth.
Current Western Australian law mandates that e-rideables can travel at up to 10km/h on footpaths and 25km/h on roads.
Users must wear a helmet, be sober, have no passengers, and be aged 16 or over.
The Western Australian Parliament’s Community Development and Justice Standing Committee will be tasked with finding ways to improve e-bike and e-scooter safety and consider tougher penalties for illegal behaviour.
Road Safety and Police Minister Reece Whitby said the inquiry would also consider how technology could be used to improve e-rideable safety. For example, geo-fencing could be employed to stop e-rideables operating in certain congested areas.
The findings from the inquiry will be presented by the end of September.
In the meantime, the Western Australian Police Force is carrying out an e-rideable enforcement blitz.
More than 20 fines were issued by police last week after interactions with 72 e-rideable users, with four e-rideables impounded.
The City of Perth, Kings Park and the City of Vincent have taken hired e-scooters off their streets in the wake of the incident.
The inner-city ban has not yet extended to the surrounding suburbs, including Stirling, Cambridge and Rockingham, who have all said they will not be suspending e-scooter hire.
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