Media Statements - Licence warning for scooter owners

16/12/05

Western Australians caught up in the growing trend of buying scooters are being urged to ensure they have the correct licence to drive one.

Minister Assisting in Planning and Infrastructure Francis Logan said there were a number of common and potentially dangerous misconceptions about scooters, including the incorrect belief that you did not need a licence to drive one.

“This is just not the case,” Mr Logan said.

“A person needs to have the licence that corresponds to the engine capacity of the vehicle, from the smallest scooter to the most powerful road motorbike.

“While some types of scooter only require a standard car licence, many others require a special motorcycle licence.

“We do not want people to place themselves in danger by riding a scooter without the right licence, or to place other motorists in danger because they cannot handle the power of a scooter they are riding.”

The Minister said scooters were becoming increasingly popular. For example, the number of scooters registered in November this year was nearly 25 per cent higher than in November 2004 (430 compared with 354).

“I expect many people will wake up on Christmas morning to find Santa has brought them a new scooter,” he said.

“We encourage the use of vehicles which are more environmentally friendly but we need to stress that having the right licence is absolutely vital.”

Mr Logan, who has a motorcycle licence, visited a scooter outlet in Perth today to demonstrate the different types of scooters and outline the class of licence required for each one:

R-N or ‘moped’ licence: This class permits the holder to ride any moped, which is defined as a motorcycle with an engine capacity no bigger than 50cc and restricted to speeds not exceeding 60kmh. If you already hold a licence to drive a car, you do not need to obtain a separate licence to ride a moped or scooter in this class.
R-E or ‘motorcycle restricted’ licence: This class permits the holder to ride a scooter or motorcycle with engine capacity not exceeding 250cc.
R or ‘motorcycle’ licence: This class permits the holder to ride a scooter or motorcycle of any engine capacity. To qualify for this class of licence, the holder must already hold an R-E licence for at least one year and be re-assessed on an appropriate motorcycle.

Scooters can range in capacity from 50cc vehicles through to engines with 650cc capacity.

Mr Logan said more information on the different types of licences required was available on line at http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au

Minister's office: 9222 8950