Privately-Owned Electric Scooters Now Legal to Ride in Victoria
Over 100,000 Victorian owners can now ride in public, provided they follow riding and vehicle rules.
By Stephen Coulter & Krystyna Weston, Co-Founders of Zipidi
Victorians have awoken to a scooter-friendly state today.
Announced on March 30, the long overdue legalisation allows more than 100,000 Victorians estimated to have bought electric scooters to ride them legally. Experience worldwide shows riders of privately owned scooters:
- Are better riders as they are more experienced
- Do not create street clutter, as they are using a privately owned vehicle they want to keep safe.
- Are less likely to use cars for short journeys as they have invested in a fun, sustainable and practical form of transport.
Owners and riders must ensure they understand the riding rules and vehicle specifications required by Australian and Victorian legislation.
Victoria’s riding rules are summarised in our header image:
- Minimum rider age of 16.
- Riders must wear bicycle helmets.
- The maximum speed limit is 20 kph.
- Scooters cannot be ridden on footpaths.
- Scooters can be ridden on shared paths, bike paths, bike lanes and roads with a speed limit of 60 kph or less.
- Motoring laws apply to not riding when under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Scooters are for riders only; no passengers are allowed.
Vic Roads' announcement of all the rules is here:
https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/e-scooters-in-victoria
Significant penalties apply to breaches of riding and vehicle laws as summarised in our header; details are here:
https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/e-scooters-in-victoria/penalties
The Victorian Government has largely aligned scooter operating conditions with bikes. Accordingly, no insurance is provided or required. An excerpt from Vic Roads Q&A on insurance is below:
Will private e-scooter riders be insured for accidents?
Like bikes, private e-scooters will be responsible for their own insurance or bearing any costs as a result of an accident caused by the rider.
Are e-scooters covered under TAC insurance?
E-scooters, like bicycles, are not covered by TAC insurance for accidents involving other e-scooters, bikes, pedestrians or where there was otherwise no other vehicle involved.
However, e-scooter riders involved in an accident with a motor vehicle will be eligible for compensation through the TAC.
Vic Roads scooter safety Q&A is here:
https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/e-scooters-in-victoria/e-scooter-safety
Vehicle specifications currently align with those set for ePMDs by Australia’s Federal Department of Transport. Key parameters include:
- Is not capable of exceeding 25 km/h on level ground when propelled by the motor; and
- Has a footprint of no more than 1250 mm by 700 mm; and is not more than 1350 mm in height; and has an unladen mass of 60 kg or less.
The requirements on the Federal Government are here…
Importantly vehicles must comply with Australian and international standards. This is particularly important for lithium-ion batteries, where many fires have occurred around the world due to poor quality, often non-compliant batteries and battery cells and casings. Our partner CREDZ wrote on this issue recently…
The Premier’s Office announcement of legalisation of privately-owned eScooters and the extension of shared scooter trials is available at the link below.
