In six months' time, Wollongong Council has a big decision to make. Will it confirm e-scooter hire as a part of our lives long-term or follow the lead of other major Australian cities by banning them?
It was in late 2023 that Council approved a 12-month trial of the scooter hire as an alternative to walking, driving and public transport, and they’ve created quite a stir ever since. People, it seems, love them or loathe them.
Unable to make a firm decision on whether the scooters should stay or go, Council has twice extended the trial. This month a further six-month extension was approved, meaning the orange-coloured people carriers will be on our footpaths and in our parks at least for the start of our next summer.
In a statement, Council said it was committed to providing and exploring more sustainable transport solutions across the city, including what they described as "micromobility". No explanation was provided for the further extension of the scooter-for-hire trial.
Why Melbourne banned e-scooter hire
After approving a two-year electric scooter hire trial in February 2022, Melbourne was the first Australian city to ban them, saying they posed an unacceptable safety risk.
After hundreds of accidents and a community outcry Melbourne’s mayor said he was “fed up” with the behaviour of some of the scooter riders, stopping the trial in its tracks.
Operators, Lime and Neuron (which is conducting the Wollongong trial) were given 30 days to remove their scooters.
The mayor told 3AW the scooters were not only dangerous, they were also an eyesore. “They’re tipped, they’re scattered around the city like confetti, like rubbish, creating tripping hazards.”
Royal Melbourne Hospital reported close to 250 patients presenting at its emergency department during the first 12 months of the trial. A hospital spokesman said e-scooter accidents had caused deaths and brain damage, with injuries mainly among young people.
Perth fatality ended its scooter trial immediately
Earlier this month, the City of Perth immediately suspended its e-scooter trial following the death of a 51-year-old pedestrian who was struck from behind by a British tourist who was allegedly riding a hire scooter while intoxicated. She has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and is facing potential jail time.
Earlier this year Perth Council conducted a community survey where 70 per cent of respondents expressed their concerns about e-scooters. This included concerns about scooter speed, poor rider behaviour, a lack of policing, riders not giving way to pedestrians, and lack of helmet compliance.
Australian Medical Association WA president Michael Page said e-scooter injuries had now become all too common.
“We have at least one major e-scooter injury each day that’s severe enough to be admitted to Royal Perth Hospital’s major trauma unit,” he told the ABC.
Globally, Paris, Madrid and San Francisco have banned e-scooter hire because of the risk they pose to pedestrians and scooter users.
Residents urged to share Wollongong experiences
Wollongong Ward Two Councillor Andrew Anthony, while not calling for a total ban in this city, understands concerns over the risk.
Cr Anthony said he shared the concerns of residents about the unsafe use of some e-bikes and e-scooters, especially when ridden on footpaths, at high speeds, without helmets or with multiple passengers.
He is encouraging residents to report their experiences.
"This is a growing public safety issue," Cr Anthony said. "I'm keen to work with the community, law enforcement, community groups and the media to promote safer riding and avoid preventable injuries. Let's make sure fun doesn't come at the cost of safety."
