Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
The share hire e-scooter trial in urban Bendigo will be extended for another 12 months, following a decision at Council last Monday night.
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the trial extension was approved after much deliberation.
“Council carefully considered all of the findings from the community survey, data, and feedback from an external stakeholder group – this includes Victoria Police and Bendigo Health, who have been involved since the trial began last year,” Cr Metcalf said.
“Much of community feedback centred on issues such as poorly parked e-scooters obstructing footpaths and buildings, and unsafe behaviour from some riders who are not complying with stricter Victorian road rules for e-scooters.
“The survey also highlighted that regular users, particularly people aged under 34, have benefited from the share hire service. For this group, the trial e-scooters are seen as a convenient and useful transport option, improving connectivity between precincts in urban Bendigo.
“There were also calls in the feedback to expand the operating area to include Golden Square, Long Gully and White Hills to align with the shared walking/cycling networks in place.
“The survey and stakeholder collaboration was intentionally designed to focus on areas where the City has the authority to act. While we understand there are broader concerns about e-scooters, the aim was to collect feedback that could directly inform potential improvements or policy decisions within our jurisdiction.
“Council has very much taken all of this on board which has resulted in the trial being extended for another 12 months. This next phase will incorporate key learnings from the initial trial and provide opportunities for further improvement based on a set of recommendations.
“New technology to curb illegal footpath riding has been proposed by the Victorian Government for share hire e-scooters, which is something we welcome, together with tougher e-scooter Victorian Road Rules and penalties that are enforced by Victoria Police.
“Improved parameters during the extended trial will allow for a more accurate assessment of whether or not share hire e-scooters can serve as a viable alternative transport option to meet the needs of community members and tourists.”
Beam Mobility (Beam), which has operated the trial for the past 12 months, will have its contract extended temporarily until the procurement process for a commercial operator is finalised.
The trial has been operating a small trial area in urban Bendigo to provide better links between precincts and encourage a shift away from cars for shorter trips.
The share hire e-scooters are only available for hire between 5am and 11pm, 7 days a week. The maximum speed limit is set at 20km/h, and 15km/h in some busy areas, and e-scooters are only allowed to ride on roads, bicycle lanes, and shared cycle paths in line with Victorian road rules. It is illegal to ride e-scooters on footpaths and significant penalties apply. The Victorian Police enforce fines.
To view more survey results, visit: