Lime scooter grace period is over, police will fine rogue riders

Police have not been coming down too hard on riders doing the wrong thing, instead letting them off with a warning and advice on how to ride more safely.

But the time has come to tighten the leash on rogue riders.

“Seeing as they are quite a new device we have been taking an education approach,” Fortitude Valley Officer in Charge Steve Watkins said.

“The time for cautioning is probably finished now.

“We are obviously concerned about the safety of the people riding the scooters and members of the public, particularly when they are riding in high pedestrian areas.”

Police have arrested a 43-year-old Newstead man on James Street on Saturday night after he was allegedly riding a Lime scooter drunk on the road, without a helmet, and failed to stop at a red light.

He allegedly returned a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.174 per cent – which is 3½ times the legal limit.

“With that level of intoxication he is a absolutely a menace,” Senior Sergeant Watkins said.

Road police Superintendent David Johnson said as a whole, the electric scooters had not been causing too much drama for police.

“I see it as an interesting trial and we are supportive of the trial, we just want to make sure everybody has a safe experience on the roads,” Superintendent Johnson said.

“We see far too many injuries caused on the roadside by people not wearing approved helmets both on bicycles and also on the scooters.”

He said police just wanted riders to understand what they could and could not do.

Police will be looking out for people riding drunk, speeding, using a phone and having more than one rider on board.

Hundreds of Lime’s electric powered scooters were rolled out across Brisbane in November to a mixed reception.

Some people welcomed them as a good way to make Brisbane a more accessible city, while others were concerned they posed serious safety risks.

While the legal speed limit for the scooters is 25km/h, they can travel up to 29km/h.