Ready, steady, scoot! e-scooters are go in the city

Image: Wollongong City Councillor Cameron Walters, Senior Transport Planner/Engineer Tyson Perry and Acting Manager Infrastructure Strategy Planning Nathan McBriarty ride the Neuron e-scooters in Stuart Park, Wollongong.

Have you ridden a Neuron e-scooter yet?

From today, the bright orange Neuron e-scooters are available for hire as part of a 12-month trial looking at whether the electric devices are a viable alternative sustainable transport option in Wollongong.

The e-scooters have permitted zones that cover parts of the CBD, suburbs including Keiraville, Towradgi and Woonona and can be ridden along the beachside shared pathway as far north as Sandon Point. There are plans to introduce e-scootering options outside the initial trial area in the following months once this phase has been completed.

“For some in our community, this trial could be a real game changer in terms of how they navigate around the city and between the retail, business and food offerings in the heart of Wollongong, the University and socialise around our coastal areas on the weekend,’’ Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.

“We appreciate that e-scooters might not be for everyone, and that’s okay. What we’re exploring through this trial is whether they’re of interest for people in our community who would prefer to hire one of them than hop in their car, ride a bike or take public transport.’’

Under the trial, the Neuron-branded e-scooters will be permitted to be hired and ridden by riders 16 years and over on eligible roads and shared paths around the city. The permitted zones are geofenced meaning the e-scooters will not work outside the zones:

• include sections of the CBD
• the foreshore pathways as far north as Sandon Point
• to the west of the CBD to capture the University of Wollongong
• TAFE West Wollongong
• the Innovation Campus.

Council has worked closely with Transport for NSW on the development and rollout of the trial and the zones the hired e-scooters are permitted to ride in. All privately-owned e-scooters will remain illegal.

As part of the initiative, Transport for NSW is leading a targeted education campaign that focusses on reminding people of the road rules that apply when using the devices. This includes wearing helmets, watching for pedestrians and cars and adhering to speed limits.

In the trial the scooters will be limited to a maximum speed of:

• 10km/h on shared pathways
• 20km/h on bike paths, or roads with speed limits up to 50km/h.
• E-scooters will continue not to be permitted on footpaths and only the Neuron-branded e-scooters will be allowed to be ridden.

To support the launch, Neuron will be holding a series of ScootSafe workshops in targeted locations to provide people the opportunity to learn from the experts how to ride safely.’

The next workshop will be held on Saturday September 30 near the Levendi Kiosk in Belmore Basin from 9.30am - 11.30am. People who attend will have the opportunity to take a short safety briefing and will be able to earn rewards such as free credits for future rides. Riders will also be directed to the company’s industry leading online education platform ScootSafe Academy, where they can complete gamified education modules teaching them how to ride an e-scooter safely.

Wollongong City Council Acting General Manager Kerry Hunt said while some people will be excited to be among the first to ride the e-scooters, she said everyone should be mindful of other shared pathway and road users.

“While there are some people who will be really engaged in this new technology and will be keen to give the e-scooters a go, other people might not have the trial on their radar,’’ she said.

“I ask everyone to take care over the weekend on our shared pathways and roads. The weather forecast is looking promising meaning more people will be out enjoying the weather and the public holiday Monday.

“So please be careful and mindful of others. These spaces are for everyone in our community to enjoy – whether walking, running, riding or, now, scootering.’’

Have questions about the e-scooter trial? Check out Council’s website for a detailed FAQ.

If you’d like to know more about how to hire an e-scooter, visit Neuron’s website.