PMD Legalisation Update #6 - We’re Almost There!
It’s official, PMDs are now featured in the Australian Road Rules!
Since the beginning of the year, Electric Riders Australia has been campaigning and petitioning for the Australian Road Rules (ARRs) to be updated with rules in place covering the use of electric Personal Mobility Devices - e-scooters, electric skateboards, EUCs, OneWheels and the like - to be used on public infrastructure.
We were admittedly concerned when the May Infrastructure and Transport Minister’s Meeting went by, with no official word that the proposed changes were approved or even discussed. However in the past week we have suddenly received confirmation on all fronts - PMDs are here to stay!
Read our media release about these changes on our Electric Riders Australia website.
Now, it is important to note that the ARRs have no legal standing and it still remains illegal to ride our own devices in a public area in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, the Northern Territory. It is up to these states and territories to update their own local laws to reflect the latest changes to the ARRs - a process that could take months, or even years!
Now is the time to start writing in to your own state members of parliament, urging them to implement these amendments as soon as possible. Join our volunteers and insiders group on Facebook and share any letters you have written, as well as any responses you have received. We will also post up some templates you can use.
In the coming weeks we will also be launching petitions for each state where PMDs have yet to be legalised. These petitions will be tailored for each state, targeting the members of parliament that will make the biggest difference.
Our long-awaited video and social marketing campaigns are also being reworked with a more positive message to promote PMD use and rally the Australian public behind the movement. Having a groundswell of public support is what will make a difference between having legalisation soon, and legalisation 2-3 years away.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact us directly via email, or post in our Facebook group. We’d love to hear from you!
Ride safe.
Jonno Sea
Chair, Electric Riders Australia