Australian e-scooters' bumpy ride: 'Like when automobiles appeared on streets filled with horses'

The popularity of personal mobility devices is surging - as is public opposition to their use

It's peak hour on Brisbane's busy riverside bikeway. Among the riders are scores of commuters zipping along on e-scooters, wearing business clothes and toting satchels or small backpacks. It looks like fun - a door-to-door commute in the fresh air, free from traffic jams, crowded buses and trains, and without the hassle of a hot and sticky pedal up Brisbane's hills.

Worldwide e-scooter use is booming, forecast to surpass half a billion rides globally this year. Touted as cheap, efficient and environmentally friendly, they're a last mile" solution authorities hope will encourage more people on to public transport and out of their cars.