Melburnians will soon be able to rent and ride e-scooters to trial a new way of travelling through and reigniting the city.
Residents and visitors can hire the purpose-built e-scooters providing another safe, accessible, eco-friendly and cost-effective way to travel.
From February 1, 1,500 e-scooters will be rolled out across the City of Melbourne, City of Yarra and City of Port Phillip for one year which could be extended pending the outcome of the trial.
Lime and Neuron Mobility will deliver the trial as two of Australia’s leading micro-mobility operators known for their leadership and innovation in safety and sustainability.
Rides within the three municipalities will be made possible by downloading the Lime and Neuron apps.
E-scooters will travel up to a maximum speed of 20 km/h on bicycle lanes, shared paths and low speed roads, and will not be allowed on footpaths.
Along with applying new e-scooter vehicle standards, the Lime and Neuron trial will have a strong emphasis on safety – including in-built technology to promote responsible riding, and specialised training and safety messages for new users.
Riders must adhere to most of the same rules as bike riders, including wearing a helmet and slowing down to give way to pedestrians on shared paths.
Geofencing technology will also enforce certain ‘no go’ and ‘go slow’ zones where speed limits are restricted in high-traffic shared areas and show riders where e-scooters can be parked and located.
The trial is part of the Victorian Government program to understand how e-scooters can be safely incorporated into the community for the long term.
As a low-emission mode of transport, the trial will also see Council take significant steps forward in achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 across the municipality.
