Community & Business
12 November, 2022
E-scooter educational campaign launched
QUEENSLAND’S largest shared e-scooter operator, Beam, has launched a riders education program in Port Douglas to help local riders understand their responsibilities when utilising their shared e-scooters.
As part of the national education program, Beam has targeted regions where they deploy their scooters to keep riders aware and up-to-date on the new rules.
With e-scooter incidents con-tinuing to rise across the region, new legislation has been intro-duced to help keep occupants safe.
The new rules include reducing the speed limit to 12 km/h on footpaths and shared paths, an increased fine of $1078 for offenses such as speeding, holding a mobile or illegal road use, al-lowing them to be ridden in bike lanes on roads with a speed limit of 50km/h or less, mandating bells and cracking down on occupants following general road rules.
The Beam “Ride Kind” campaign, featuring local Queens-landers explaining the riding rules, aims to ensure all riders understand their responsibilities when riding and parking a shared e-scooter, and the penalties for non-compliance.
Whilst rider education of the new rules is at the forefront, Beam’s e-scooter operations do not rely solely on rider responsibility and police compliance, with Beam investing heavily in shared e-scooter technology for additional oversight over rider use.
“We welcome the new legislation, which acknowledges the growing adoption of e-scooters as a mode of regular transport,” Beam General Manager Tom Cooper said.
“The added technology in shared e-scooters that differ-entiates Beams from privately owned e-scooters, ensures that we can regulate Beam e-scooter use under the new legislation.
“With e-scooter speeds on footpaths reducing to 12km/hr, and increased fines for non-compliance of the riding rules, our campaign aims to educate all Beam riders in Queensland of the new rules ahead of 1 November.
“We know that the majority of riders do the right thing, but we’ll be working closely with the Queensland Police Service in all cities we operate to educate and enforce the riding rules.”
For more information on Beam’s campaign, visit www.ridebeam.com/beam-safe-academy and to read about the new rules in-depth, head to https://streetsmarts.initiatives.qld.gov.au/initiatives/pmd-rules/
