The New South Wales government has announced an action plan for the use of e-scooters following several lithium battery fires and hundreds of reported injuries.
Electronic devices containing lithium batteries are responsible for more than 40 per cent of house fires in New South Wales, while injuries from e-bike accidents are on the rise, an investigation has found.
Data from the Royal Melbourne Hospital has shown that there have been more than 250 injuries related to electric scooters in the city of Melbourne.
It is also reported that the rate of injuries related to e-scooters has doubled in the state of Queensland this year.
Transport Minister Jo Helen noted that a regulatory framework is needed to allow people to make the most of this transport option.
More than a million people in the state have not stopped riding e-scooters and 91 percent of them believe that this mode of transport is a convenient way to commute.
Currently there are 1.35 million e-micro devices (e-micro) in homes in New South Wales state, of which nearly 460,000 are e-scooters, said Transport Minister Joe Helen.
It is also said that only 22 percent of people are aware that riding e-scooters is illegal on the state’s main roads and side roads.
As part of the action plan, the state government has already regulated the sale of lithium-ion batteries and e-mobility devices through fair trading.
E-scooter and e-bike sellers will face fines of up to $825,000 if they do not meet the new standards for the devices.
