Source: Radio New Zealand
More than 7000 e-scooter accidents have been reported this year. RNZ / Marika Khabazi
National MP Catherine Wedd has branded e-scooter rules “outdated”, and is spearheading a campaign to take them off the footpath and into dedicated bike lanes wherever possible.
Accident Compensation Corporation figures show claims for e-scooter injuries have almost doubled in five years, with 7257 reported so far this year at a cost of almost $14 million.
The Member of Parliament for Tukituki in southern Hawke’s Bay claims regulations around the use of e-scooters have not moved with their increased use around the country and hopes to drive change by the middle of 2026.
NZ Transport Agency says e-scooters can be used on the footpath or the road – but not in designated cycle lanes that are part of the road, which are designed for the sole use of cyclists.
“I believe it is outdated and dangerous, and we have work underway to change it by the middle of next year,” Wedd told RNZ’s Checkpoint.
“This would mean, where there is a cycle lane available, e-scooter users can use the cycle lane, instead of the footpath, which should made footpaths safer and should incentivise more people to use cycle lanes.
“We want to make the footpaths safer, but we want to make everyone safer and we’re seeing an increased number of e-scooters out there. If there’s a cycle lane, e-scooter users should be able to use cycle lanes.
“At the moment, that’s not the rule. This would mean we’re bringing e-scooters into the realm.”
The NZTA website sets out the following guidelines for e-scooter safety:
- Ride in a careful and considerate manner. Keep at a safe speed at all times and slow down when you’re near people. It’s illegal to ride at a speed that’s hazardous to people.
- Always give way to other people on the path. You might have to come to a complete stop or dismount, if the path you’re on is busy.
- Keep left unless you’re passing. Only pass people if it’s safe to and pass them on their right.
- Be aware of who’s around you – people move unpredictably and may not know you’re there. Always leave a safe distance between you and other people.
- We strongly recommend that e-scooter riders wear helmets.
“I think, generally, we’re seeing people who are responsible, but we’re seeing a lot of irresponsible users as well,” Wedd said.
“E-scooters can go very, very fast, and I’m hearing a lot from concerned parents and elderly using the footpaths and worried about there safety.
“Of course, we want to encourage e-scooter use, as it’s becoming a more popular way to get around, but our current rules are outdated and we need to take a commonsense approach.
“This is a commonsense approach – if there’s a cycle lane, use it.”
Wedd admitted some of the responsibility for safety lies with the operators.
“They’re very powerful, they go very fast and they can be dangerous, if they aren’t used properly,” she said. “If they’re used recklessly, that’s a problem.
“We just need to make sure we have some commonsense, practical rules that are going to work.”
Wedd admits the proposed rules would rely on the availability of bike lanes.
“We don’t want to be creating blanket rules across the entire country, because, in Hawke’s Bay, we have less cycle lanes than, say, Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington.
“We need to be practical about this. If there is a cycle lane use it, but if there isn’t, there’s the footpath, but be responsible. If you’re on a quiet street, that’s OK too.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
