Neil Mitchell clashes with e-scooter consultant over compensation claims

Neil Mitchell has clashed with an e-scooter consultant over the murky nature of insurance and compensation for those involved in accidents with e-scooters.

It comes after a report in The Age revealed an academic visiting Melbourne from South Australia struggled to receive compensation after being injured in a collision with an e-scooter.

However, Stephen Coulter, founder of Zipidi – an e-scooter consultancy firm – said e-scooter companies had paid out 95 per cent of claims made against them.

“The scooter companies are very focused on being good corporate citizens and paying out on claims,” he told Neil Mitchell on 3AW Mornings.

“And they have extensive insurance in place to cover all sorts of situations.”

Press PLAY below to hear Neil Mitchell and Stephen Coulter clash over compensation claims

Meanwhile there are calls to crack down on e-scooters as their use booms across Melbourne.

Executive officer of Victoria Walks, Dr Ben Rossiter, says the situation in the CBD is “pretty bad”.

“We’re just seeing illegal e-scooter use is rampant on the footpaths and a very small number of fines are being issued,” he told Ross and Russel.

Dr Rossiter is calling for police to crack down on riders using e-scooters on footpaths.

He says they’re technically classed as unregistered vehicles.

“Unregistered vehicles can be impounded by police. The law is there, we’d like to see a lot more enforcement of the law,” he said.

Questions have previously been raised about insurance coverage when scooters are involved in collisions with pedestrians.

Press PLAY below to hear why Dr Rossiter is concerned

Image: iStock by Getty