Unleybelievably Slow Regulation in South Australia is taking a Toll on eScooters
By Stephen Coulter, Zipidi
The City of Unley, an inner-city Adelaide council, has made the decision to discontinue its e-scooter trial. This move means that shared e-scooters, once available for rent, will now be removed from Unley’s streets.
Last month, the council voted on extending the two-year trial. Unfortunately, the extension proposal was defeated by a narrow margin, with six votes against and five in favour. This outcome reflects the divided sentiment within the community regarding e-scooters.
Unley Mayor Michael Hewitson had previously expressed concerns about the lack of clarity from the state government regarding e-scooter laws. Residents and councillors alike were hesitant due to this uncertainty. In fact, Mayor Hewitson had warned the government last year that without decisive action, the trial would likely be scrapped.
The safety and regulatory landscape surrounding e-scooters remain a critical issue, and Unley’s decision highlights the need for clear guidelines and swift legislative action.
The story was reported in Yahoo on Friday,
New map of Aussie city angers e-scooter users: ‘Short-sighted’ (yahoo.com)
South Australia’s eScooter Trials are the Longest Running in the World
Adelaide was the first city in Australia with shared eScooters, and despite five years' experience, the trials continue, and the public use of privately owned eScooters remains illegal throughout South Australia. We estimate 25,000 to 40,000 privately owned eScooters have been sold and are ridden in South Australia despite their illegal status.
A number of local governments have withdrawn their support for trials as the State regulations present too much uncertainty until permanent laws are enacted. South Australia is the only State in Australia with a reduction in shared eScooters since 2022 due to the regulatory caution by the State government.
The laws for the South Australian trial are exceptionally conservative and have some regulations that prevent the safest scooters from being deployed or ridden in the safest places:
- Scooters are only permitted on footpaths and shared paths in South Australia. Other States and cities ban scooters from footpaths to avoid pedestrian inconvenience — the main complaint in South Australia!
- South Australia limits electric scooters to 25kg in weight. Due to this regulation, the newest, best and safest shared electric scooters, weighing 25kg to 30kg, have not been deployed in South Australia.
- Scooters are banned from bike lanes and low-speed roads (<50kph), which are proven to be safer locations for riders (and pedestrians).
In early 2023 the South Australian government called for submissions from the industry and other stakeholders regarding long-term regulations.
Submissions closed in May 2023, and while summary findings were released in December 2023, no regulation occurred.
87% of respondents favoured eScooters in South Australia. Findings supported allowing them in bike lanes, low-speed roads, and an increase in the weight limit.
We support these findings and strongly recommend removing the length restriction of 125cm. More than 30% of new scooters exceed this length due to safer and larger wheels and decks.
A copy of Zipidi’s recommendations for the South Australian review is available at this link.
