A woman has been slammed online after she was filmed riding an e-scooter with a young child along a busy road – an illegal act that has sparked fierce debate on social media.
A vision of the woman with the child on the purple electric scooter was taken as they crossed the junction of Liverpool and Barrack Street in Hobart on Monday.
Hobart City Councilor Louise Elliott happened to film the couple slowly crossing the road on the device and posted it on social media.
“I’m all for individual choice and responsibility, but this is not cool. Actually, it’s so cool that there’s ice on the ground,” she said on social media.
“The streets were icy and above all dangerous, I don’t want to consider this acceptable.
The woman with the child (pictured) on the purple electric scooter was taken Monday as they crossed the junction of Liverpool and Barrack Streets in Hobart
‘I saw them get up [I was too far away to say anything] and it seemed they had certainly done this before.”
The pair slowly rode across the street with a large black backpack on the front of the bike – but awkwardly stopped when they reached the footpath.
They then appeared to lose some control of the scooter as the backpack was tossed around – forcing the bike to maneuver onto the busy Liverpool Road.
Both were seen putting one foot on the ground to get their balance back on track before continuing.
“I was really worried about the little kid… [the e-scooters are] heavy and hard to maneuver and it was so slippery,” CR Elliott said.
“I just don’t want children to get hurt or killed or the mother to get a big fine.”
Operating a personal mobility device (PMD) – including e-scooters and e-skateboards – is highly regulated across the country and carries hefty fines.
The woman in the vision could face two $135.75 fines under Tassie law for not wearing a properly fitted helmet and for riding with another person on a PMD.
The post went viral on social media and sparked a fiery debate, as some accused the councilor of “crossing the line” and being an advocate of the “nanny state.”
“You crossed a line by posting your video… You don’t know her circumstances,” one woman said.
“It’s dangerous and illegal and I was concerned for their safety, especially the young child’s,” the alderman replied.
‘I [have] have seen first hand horrific and life changing injuries from these rental e-scooters in Hobart.”
“Please don’t become a supporter of a ‘babysitting state’. Shame on you,’ another critic fired at her.
Cr Elliot told Daily Mail Australia she was happy to take the criticism for being a ‘nanny’.
“I’d rather discourage dangerous behavior than say nothing,” she said.
The cancer patient and mother of two said she knows how precious life is.
“Maybe I’m worrying too much, but as these are rental e-scooters allowed by Hobart City Council – of which I am a member – I felt compelled to say something,” she said.
Meanwhile, another commentator agreed with CR Elliott.
“It is unsafe and illegal to ride the scooters like this. Unsafe for the child and mother who are unrecognizable in the clip,” they said.
But others praised the woman on the bike as they took aim at authorities.
‘Go mom! What a legend,” one person wrote.
“Leave them alone…we all struggle with the cost of living,” said another.
“Look back to the years when no seat belts or a bassinet in the back of a car were all good enough. Well done Mom for taking the trouble to get the kid to school.’
“I think the mother is capable of making the security call and it is not right to disgrace her and her child on social media,” said a Tasmanian.
“Your ‘obey the rules’ mentality is the slippery slope to serfdom,” another person said, while another told CR Elliot to “mind your own business.”
‘It’s just my business. I don’t want to see deaths, especially of a young child, from dangerous and illegal behavior,” said the alderman.
“If you never did this kind of thing as a kid, you didn’t have a childhood,” argued another.
Cr Elliott lashed out at those who downplayed the “illegal” act.
“The number of people who have said there is no problem proves how much more education is needed,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
“There is no problem until someone is seriously injured or killed. I don’t want that on my conscience.
“Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect, but this is clearly dangerous and illegal.”
PMD users in Tasmania are allowed to drive up to 25 km/h on bike lanes, shared paths and roads where the speed limit does not exceed 50 km/h.
The maximum speed on footpaths is 15 km/h and riders are not allowed to transport another person on the bicycle or an animal.
Beam Mobility, which rents e-scooters in the city of Hobart, agreed with Cr Elliot.
“The photo of the rider presented by Councilor Elliott is in clear breach of two regulations of the Tasmanian government,” a Beam spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.
‘[These] are also reflected in Beam’s terms of use: namely riding with a passenger and not wearing a helmet.’
The spokesperson said Beam has a strict “three-strikes” policy for driving rule violations.
“A first offense results in engagement with the rider by our team and they are reminded of the correct behavior,” their statement said.
The pair appear to lose control of the device as soon as they hit the pavement, forcing the bike to maneuver towards busy Liverpool Road (pictured)
Hobart City Councilor Louise Elliott (pictured) said she feared for the safety of the child and adult on bicycles amid Hobart’s icy morning roads that were ‘as slippery as’.
PMD users in Tasmania are allowed to ride up to 25 km/h on bike lanes, shared paths and roads where the speed limit does not exceed 50 km/h
A second violation will result in a new reminder and advice, a third violation will result in suspension of the rider’s account.
‘A third violation will result in a suspension.’
More serious violations, such as drunk driving and/or dangerous driving, are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and may result in immediate suspension, the spokesperson added.
“We encourage members of the public to report such cases to the Tasmanian police and to Beam, so that the safety of the community is maintained,” they said.
Tasmanian police told Daily Mail Australia that people are being reminded to use e-scooters responsibly.
