Electric scooters are a useful addition to our transport network

As we come to the end of the electric scooter trial in Melbourne’s inner suburbs, with authorities debating whether to keep them permanently, we can draw some conclusions of our own. Clearly, they are a convenient, environmentally friendly, fun way to get around: hop on, log in, whizz to your destination, park where you like and you’re done.

For short trips around the CBD, heading down to the beach, or as part of a commute to a railway station or tram stop, nothing else really comes close. Users have taken some 2.8 million trips in the City of Melbourne alone and operators Neuron (the red ones) and Lime (the green ones) have added 1000 scooters to the 1500 they deployed when the trial began on February 1 last year.

An electric scooter rider in Melbourne’s CBD.Credit:Scott McNaughton

They are more resource intensive than walking, but if any of those millions of trips meant somebody leaving the car at home or not hiring an Uber, it’s an environmental win: every car journey not taken is a contribution to reducing traffic congestion, carbon emissions and particulate pollution.

But it is also clear that these zippy little devices have their problems. Dumped thoughtlessly they are a hazard to pedestrians, particularly the elderly or visually impaired.

Too many people, ignorant or uncaring of the law, are riding them illegally on footpaths. Not all riders wear a helmet, risking head injury. And accident numbers are not insignificant: there were more than 400 hospital admissions in the 2021-22 financial year resulting from e-scooters, with at least two people killed. The more that appear, the more likely injuries we’ll see.

Then there’s the anomaly of private e-scooters, which you can buy but not ride anywhere except for private property. Unlike rental scooters, which are speed-limited to 20km/h, private models can reach speeds of 70km/h. One model currently advertised as “ideal for thrill-seekers” accelerates from zero to 50km/h in four seconds.

All these factors combine to irritate or, at worst, instil fear. In Paris, which is coming to the end of its three-year trial with three operators and 15,000 scooters, authorities are considering banning scooters entirely, fed up with accidents and dumping.

But The Age believes the benefits outweigh the costs, and none of the problems is insurmountable. A number of cities around the world are currently figuring out how to improve rider behaviour, reduce inconsiderate parking and stop vandalism. Some are relatively laissez-faire: New York allows both rental and private scooters as long as the speed is capped at 24km/h; Singapore only requires that your scooter be an approved model; Tokyo allows riders on footpaths (at 6km/h) as well as roads and is phasing out a rule requiring users to have a driver’s licence and wear a helmet.

San Francisco (which spends a fortune retrieving them from its famous bay) is debating how to stop people riding rental scooters on footpaths. San Diego recently banned scooter parking from anywhere apart from approved corrals and made geofencing mandatory in an effort to block scooters from its popular boardwalk.

Here in Melbourne, the experience of the past year suggests we should keep the rental fleet and legalise and strictly regulate private e-scooters, primarily by capping them to a sensible speed. We should consider registration and insurance; rules around helmet use, footpath riding and passenger-carrying should be enforced.

It may be necessary to restrict parking of rentals to approved bays if no other solution can be found, though a big part of the appeal is the ability to park it close to your destination.

Importantly, though, we must improve the network of bicycle and shared paths to make e-scooters safer and more effective for everyday travel well beyond the current trial suburbs. Given the right laws and infrastructure, these quick, silent, convenient scooters could play a role in reducing our over-dependence on private vehicles, filling in the gaps left by public transport, bicycles and walking.

They are perfect for what transport boffins like to call a “first-and-last-mile transportation solution”, as long as they are used considerately.

Michael Bachelard sends a newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive his Note from the Editor.

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