ESC0003

Written evidence submitted by Michael Paine

This submission provides links to Australian projects related to the use of e-scooters on public footpaths.

In 2008/9 I was part of a team that undertook a project on personal mobility devices for the Australian government. This included e-scooters and Segway-style vehicles. The project investigated many of the issues being considered by the UK enquiry including safety, societal benefits, environmental issues and effects on infrastructure and traffic congestion.

The project report was not publicly released by our client, Austroads, but that organisation might be prepared to make a redacted version available to the inquiry.

In 2011 I prepared a technical paper on the main findings for the 22nd International Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles. It can be downloaded from the US NHTSA website:

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL MOTORISED ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES

https://www-esv.nhtsa.dot.gov/Proceedings/22/files/22ESV-000108.pdf

More recently I prepared a related paper on mobility scooters (that have similar issues to e-scooters using public footpaths):

NEW SAFETY STANDARDS FOR MOTORISED MOBILITY DEVICES IN AUSTRALIA

http://indexsmart.mirasmart.com/26esv/PDFfiles/26ESV-000205.pdf

I have also prepared an extract from the 2009 Austroads report that compares different forms of personal transport:

"Allocating costs and benefits to modes of personal transport"

A copy can be downloaded here:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340794081_Allocating_costs_and_benefits_to_modes_of_personal_transport

There is a current Australian government enquiry into safety requirements and road rules for personal mobility devices:

https://www.ntc.gov.au/transport-reform/ntc-projects/Barriers-to-the-safe-use-of-innovative-vehicles-and-motorised-mobility-devices

I can provide more information on these projects and suggestions for current contacts in relevant Australian organisations, if the Committee wishes.

April 2020