I agree that e-bikes and e-scooters are a great way to beat the Melbourne traffic and take pressure off public transport (″E-bike users missing out on EV tax break″, 8/8).
A quiet, unannounced transport revolution is creeping up rapidly on worldwide society. As with the introduction of cheaper internal-combustion engine cars, trucks and motorbikes back in the early 20th century, our laws lag.
Although there are regulations in place, users of these e-vehicles don’t know them, or observe them. Traffic police have trouble enforcing any laws because they are understaffed, and these vehicles and their riders are quick and elusive.
The contrasts between the cost and selfishness of one car and few occupants couldn’t be starker. E-bikes and e-scooters are cheap to buy, cost nothing to run, non-polluting, travel point to point, and may be used with public transport, the tax treatment of e-bikes and e-scooters therefore needs examination.
Melbourne is flat and has many bike trails, but fewer than Amsterdam. As with Amsterdam, e-bikes, e-scooters and pushbikes will require pedestrian-free trails in the inner city. A day is coming when Melbourne’s bike trails will be more extensive and there will be more no-go areas in the city for cars and trucks during certain hours. But future generations will need to accept an increased extra road toll from accidents in the use of e-scooters and e-bikes, as a normal risk and penalty for modern living.
Geoff Black, Frankston
The Age
