Hire-and-ride e-scooters to roll on

Published on 20 February 2023

Elected Members voted tonight to continue hire-and-ride e-scooter services in Hobart under a license arrangement, with conditions for operators informed by the trial. These conditions will be reviewed by Council prior to finalisation to ensure that issues such as hire and ride scooter parking are addressed.

The continuation recommendation was passed with amendments that will see future e-scooter licence fees invested into shared on-street parking stations and transit lanes for bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters, as well as the Lord Mayor writing to the Tasmanian Government to call for the urgent construction of suitable lanes and better enforcement.

“City of Hobart officers will develop licence conditions for e-scooter operators that take into account the findings of the hire and ride e-scooter trial with particular emphasis on reducing footpath obstruction. These conditions will be considered by Council at a subsequent meeting prior to their implementation” said Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds.

Trial data reveals that the City’s objectives to reduce inner city congestion, parking demand and improve connectivity through providing an alternative transport option has been met.

The trial was introduced following changes by the State Parliament to the Traffic Act in December 2021 allowing the use of e-scooters on most Tasmanian roads and pathways.

The vote follows extensive community consultation and evaluation of the trial which found that well managed operators improve the connectivity and use of sustainable transport options in the City.

Details about the e-scooter trial evaluation and the community survey results can be found on the on the City’s e-scooter web page (including an accessible version).

City Mobility Portfolio Chair Cr Ryan Posselt said electric scooters provided a compact, convenient, and environmentally friendly transport option.

“More than 20 per cent of car journeys in some of our most congested suburbs are travelling within the same suburb, with many trips under 1km, which makes e-scooters a perfect alternative,” Cr Posselt said.

“There were more than 604,516 rides taken on e-scooters during the trial. The data shows that more than half of these replaced car travel – that’s 66 tonnes of CO2 averted from our atmosphere.

“The more alternatives we can provide to single occupant cars, the more we can reduce congestion on our roads, free up parking spots and head towards zero emissions.

“Like any mode of transport, there are safety and amenity issues that require careful management and ongoing community education. Tonight’s decision enables the city to ensure hire scooters are managed to the satisfaction and for the benefit of the whole community.”

“The decision to maintain hire-and-ride services in the municipality is underpinned by a commitment to keep engaging with the community around safety, parking and other infrastructure improvements.

“The use of private e-scooters continues to grow in popularity not just in Hobart but across the state.

“By providing oversight of hire-and-ride services, the city has been able to implement and enforce safety measures such as the use of geofencing to limit their speed and restrict where and when they can be used, and ensuring operators issue fines, suspensions and bans to people doing the wrong thing.

“The use of e-scooters will continue be closely monitored by the city, so we can keep making improvements.

“While I acknowledge that some people still have valid concerns, particularly around parking concerns, and there is more work to be done to continue making them safer for the whole community, the majority of feedback has been positive. For some people the introduction of e-scooters has been life changing.”

One such user is Laura Drysdale who now uses her own e-scooter as her primary mode of transport and supplements it with hire-and-ride services when needed.

“I can access Hobart now in ways that I couldn’t prior to using a scooter. I struggle with my health and instead of walking a short distance I’m able to scooter much further,” Ms Drysdale said.

“E-scooters have made Tasmania accessible to me again and I’m so thankful that Tasmania and the City of Hobart is leading the way in allowing us to integrate them into our lives — a fun social opportunity and a cheaper alternative to fuel-hungry cars on Hobart’s traffic-heavy roads.”

In response to community feedback the City is rolling out marked e-scooter parking bays throughout Hobart to support safe, orderly and responsible e-scooter parking.

The current trial arrangements will remain in place until 23 June 2023 while a new service arrangement is developed for hire-and-ride operators.