“Because they’re in high-use public places where sometimes the interception of these vehicles would create a greater risk to the road users, or if it’s a busy, crowded walkway like Queen Street, and police try to take an action and somebody then tries to evade them, it actually could put more of the community in danger,” he said.
“So we refrain from taking that action.”
Police conducted an operation targeting e-scooters and bikes in inner-city Brisbane in January 2025.Credit: Queensland Police Service
Harsley said some offenders would be aware of “when they may need to take an action that assists them rather than assisting the police”.
He said it was also difficult for officers to distinguish between illegal and legal bikes because they did not have registration plates or serial markings, while riders were often hard to identify if they did not carry ID, wore non-distinctive clothing or evaded police.
According to police figures, the most fined e-scooter users in Brisbane were men aged 18 to 24, with 1450 fines since November 2022.
In comparison, there were only 249 fines issued to women aged 18 to 24.
Not wearing a helmet was the most common offence for e-scooter riders, with 2250 fines in Queensland in 2024, but there were also 32 fines last year for speeding 20 to 30km/h above the limit, not on a footpath.
E-scooters are required to be limited to 25km/h, but some private owners illegally remove the speed limiter.
The figures were revealed at the e-mobility inquiry, which is holding hearings in Brisbane this week.
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