Sydney man fined thousands after riding e-scooter on road

A Western Sydney man wants to warn others about potential penalties that can come with enjoying a ride on an electric scooter after he was fined thousands of dollars for taking his out for a spin on the road.

"The cops stopped me and asked for my licence details," Rahul told A Current Affair.

"They said it's not allowed to ride in public area or road, it's only allowed in private area."

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Rahul said he purchased the e-scooter, which he added wasn't cheap, at JB Hi-Fi.

He said he had always been a law-abiding citizen so he was shocked when he was pulled up by NSW Police on his first outing on the road in Riverwood because he thought he was doing all the right things.

He claims he had "the proper approved helmet with the sticker on", which was also sold at JB Hi-Fi along with bikes, and he also thought the police had just given him a warning at the time.

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But later, four different penalties landed in his letter box amounting to almost $2500 in fines, leaving Rahul stressed before Christmas.

"I was not expecting this," he said.

He was fined $352 for not wearing an approved helmet and $704 for driving an unregistered motor vehicle on the road.

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He was also fined another $704 for unpaid tax and no registration, plus another $704 for an uninsured motor vehicle.

Rahul said he's had to work hard through the pandemic and he's unable to afford all those fines.

"My wage is less than that," he said.

While a few laps inside his own parking bay may momentarily take Rahul's mind off the hefty bill, he said he can't help but wonder where it all went wrong.

"The scooter display was there, there was no warning at the time that I saw, there was no warning given by the attendant to me, I just went there, did a card swipe and it was mine," he said.

Justin Lawrence, from Henderson and Ball lawyers, said he believes Rahul has been harshly treated.

"There should be a whole raft of warnings around the sales so people can't buy them, plug in, charge it and ride to your heart's content," he said.

"I think that most people think there are no restrictions and I can get on and ride them in the same way I got on and rode that push bike or scooter when I was a kid."

If Rahul wanted to ride an e-scooter on the road without being penalised he would have to move from NSW to Tasmania, Queensland, or Canberra where electronic scooters are allowed on roads and pathways.

Very slow toy e-scooters are allowed in Western Australia and Victoria, but not Rahul's.

However, the same strict laws don't apply to electronic bikes or electronic mobility scooters.

"It seems like a fine for that sort of activity is over the top," Mr Lawrence said.

Rahul has since sold his scooter and will take the matter to court this week to plead for leniency.