More Victorians will soon be able to rent and ride e-scooters as part of a State Government program to understand how the devices can be safely incorporated into the transport network.
From 1 February, 1,500 e-scooters will be rolled out across the City of Melbourne, City of Yarra and City of Port Phillip for one year.
The City of Ballarat is also running a 12-month electric scooter trial program.
Two of Australia’s leading micro-mobility operators, Lime and Neuron Mobility, are operating the trial, providing residents and visitors with another safe, accessible, eco-friendly and cost-effective way to travel.
E-scooters can 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.
