The City of Stirling is set to investigate potential restrictions on e-rideables at two of its popular parks following complaints about near-misses on shared paths.
Council voted on Tuesday night to instruct officers to prepare a report exploring possible exclusion zones for e-scooters and e-bikes at Yokine Reserve and Jackadder Lake Reserve. The report will outline how a potential trial at the two reserves would operate, alongside plans for community consultation.
Safety concerns prompt review
The proposed restrictions were presented by councillors Suzanne Migdale and Elizabeth Re. Cr Migdale said complaints from park users indicated that the risk to children and elderly park users from fast-moving e-rideables was too high, and a “deep dive” was needed to examine how safety could be improved.
“I have had feedback from my local area of younger people and older people who have expressed concern at moving vehicles that are powered, going very fast, while they are wearing headphones and while the kids are playing on their own equipment, and it has concerned them,” she said.
Cr Migdale reiterated that the proposal was simply for a report to be conducted, not for any immediate action. “We don’t even understand yet whether it’s legal for us to do this and have exclusion zones; we just want to deep dive,” she said. “Anything travelling at speed on a pedestrian track should be examined, so this is just to do that.”
Council vote and dissent
The proposals for Yokine Reserve and Jackadder Lake Reserve were supported 14-1, with Balga ward councillor Michael Dudek the only dissenting vote. Cr Dudek expressed concern that the move could lead to unnecessary restrictions on residents’ freedoms but said he was glad consultation would be conducted if the report proceeded further.
“I’m not particularly opposed to getting a report, apart from potentially what could be included in that,” he said. “It is gobsmacking sometimes, some of the restrictions on individual liberties, so I am a bit concerned about this motion. I’m concerned for a few reasons … we don’t even know if it’s legal as yet, and when we go out to consultation with these sorts of things, it’s got the potential that the allegations start flying around.”
Broader context of e-rideable safety
A review of e-rideable road rules by the WA Road Safety Commission last year found a “concerning lack of compliance with the existing rules”, particularly in relation to speeding, not wearing helmets, and not giving way to pedestrians. It also found that while crash rates between e-rideable users and pedestrians did not appear to be significant, many pedestrians reported feeling unsafe on shared paths due to near-misses or inappropriate riding behaviour.
A parliamentary inquiry into the safety, regulation and penalties associated with the use of e-rideables was held after a fatal e-scooter crash in the city. It recommended the State Government develop a policy framework outlining minimum safety obligations and empower local governments to declare additional areas as dismount zones.
In March, the State Government said it supported, or supported in principle, 32 of the 33 recommendations made in the Ride Safe report.
The report to consider a trial at the two parks is expected to be presented to the city on June 30.
