Australian Lawyers Alliance NSW president Genevieve Henderson has urged the state government to require private e-scooter owners and councils to have appropriate insurance measures in place.

She says the state must mandate that anyone who owns an e-scooter has cover, including third-party protection, and ensure local councils’ share programs are conducted by companies that offer fair insurance dealings.

She warns current laws are “yet to keep up” with the growing use of such devices.  

“This reform will become especially urgent if the NSW government allows privately owned e-scooters to be ridden on public roads and in public areas in the future,” Ms Henderson said.  

“This is effectively already happening, with e-scooters and powerful e-bikes known to be injuring pedestrians on both suburban and city footpaths across NSW.”  

Ms Henderson recently told a NSW parliamentary inquiry about the financial risk many riders and crash victims face amid a lack of insurance requirements.

“Many who use an e-mobility device are probably unaware that they put all their assets, including their home, on the line if they cause injury to someone else while using that e-mobility device,” she said. “Similarly, those who are run down by an e-mobility device could suffer serious injury and yet be left to meet their own lost wages and medical bills.  

“No one should be in the position of losing their own home after being the innocent victim of the negligent use of an e-mobility device by an impecunious, uninsured ... operator.”