Police Commissioner wants e-scooters off footpaths, just weeks after Perth father dies in e-scooter crash

WA’s top cop says he would like to see e-scooters banned from WA footpaths following the death of a 51-year-old father who died after being hit by an alleged drunk rider. Police Commissioner Col Blanch on Wednesday said there was an increased risk of e-scooter accidents in high density areas like footpaths and the CBD. Under WA law, e-scooters can be ridden up to 10km/h on footpaths and pedestrian crossings, and up to 25km/h on bicycle paths, shared paths and local roads. “Footpaths, where we have a higher density of pedestrians, and particularly places like the city where we have elderly people and kids . . . it’s a greater risk,” he told ABC Radio. “The regulations and where scooters can and cannot be used is more of a community discussion than and a policy decision by local council and State Government. “My advice is where you have a high density of pedestrians, the risk is greater. “I like e-scooters and we can already have them on shared bike paths and things like that . . . I think we need to make sure that we stop hurting people on footpaths.” Thanh Phan, 51, died in hospital following a serious crash in Perth’s CBD late last month, prompting inner-city councils to suspend e-scooter programs and police to launch a crackdown. British backpacker Alicia Kemp, 24, is alleged to have been riding a hired e-scooter in an “inexplicably dangerous” manner, at speeds of up to 25km/h, when she hit Mr Phan on the footpath. After his death, Ms Kemp had her charge upgraded from dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm under the influence of alcohol, to dangerous driving occasioning death under the influence of alcohol. It also follows the death on Tuesday night of a young man who was riding an e-scooter in Mareeba in Queensland. Mr Blanch said he had seen a number of instances where people had been seriously injured because they had been hit by an e-scooter. “Individual liberties at some point have to be curtailed by societal safety concerns, and when there’s a higher risk, we have to make sure we don’t hurt more people,” he said. “We’ve seen a number of issues where elderly people have been knocked over and have been seriously injured as a result of walking on footpaths (that) they’re sharing with e-scooters.” WA Police recorded 31 offences at the weekend related to speeding, not wearing a helmet, no authority to drive, riding in a mall and driving an unlicensed vehicle following a CBD e-rideable safety blitz. Mr Blanch said his offers were “prioritising e-scooters because of the risk”. “Most people riding e-scooters are actually doing the right thing, but they’re sadly, like car drivers and motorcycle riders, there are a component of them doing the wrong thing,” he said. “We saw (the 51-year-old father) die in that tragic accident, and police are responding each and every week (and at the) weekend with a operation specific to e-rideables.” Following last month’s horror crash, the cities of Perth and Vincent announced they would be temporarily suspending their rental e-scooters. Transport Minister Catherine King this week said the Federal Government was talking to its State counterparts about regulation of e-scooters following calls from the Opposition to convene a road accidents summit with all stakeholders and users to look at how best to make sure the rules are the same across the country.