Even though e-scooters are a fairly new phenomenon, they’ve quickly become a fixed value in many cities around the world. Marketed as a consumer-friendly, convenient and even sustainable means of transportation, the small electric vehicles have been adopted by many. But the trend is not all positive, as some have expressed their dissatisfaction. Opponents claim, amongst others, that they’re causing chaos on the streets and footpaths.
A number of cities have therefore already taken the decision to change their approach to e-scooters. Paris has banned them altogether in 2023, while Rome, Copenhagen and Barcelona have introduced strict rules concerning e-scooter rentals.
After approximately two years of trials, the Australian city of Melbourne now seems to be taking the same road Paris did last year and has decided to ban e-scooter rentals. On Tuesday, 13 August, the city council voted to end contracts with its two e-scooter operators, Lime and Neuron. Both have been given a 30-day notice to remove their vehicles from the streets.
“This was an opportunity to end the havoc on Melbourne’s footpaths and make our city safe again,” Melbourne Mayor Nicolas Reece said at a press conference on Wednesday. “I’ve heard in recent days from residents, from traders, from visitors to Melbourne, literally begging us to bring the trial to an end to make our city safe again.”
Despite the fact that approximately 6,800 e-scooter rides took place on a daily basis in Melbourne over the last two years and the fact that they helped to decrease Melbourne’s carbon emissions by over 400 tons in the last two and a half years, it seems like the negative sides of e-scooter rental dominated for many.
In a report from December 2023, the Royal Melbourne Hospital mentioned 256 e-scooter-related injuries. Some citizens described the vehicles, which often find themselves scattered around on pavements, as a safety hazard to the elderly and the disabled.
However, not everyone seems to agree with Melbourne’s decision. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has already outed her concerns. “I really hope the city of Melbourne can have a change of heart on this decision. There is a role for e-scooters in our public transport network, particularly for those last mile journeys, for getting cars off local roads”, she said.
Moreover, both Neuron and Lime have commented on the decision, which was previously announced as a reform and not an abolition altogether. “We are poised to introduce a whole range of new technologies on to Melbourne’s streets. If the recommendations provided by council officers were adopted, it would make the city’s e-scooter program the most tightly regulated in the world,” general manager for Australia and New Zealand at Neuron Mobility, Jayden Bryant, said.
A Lime spokesperson added the company had invested over 40 million dollars in locally based operations and technology, such as helmet locks and footpath riding cameras. “Scooters in Melbourne are tremendously popular because they offer an affordable, convenient and sustainable transport option that people rely on. Last week, Melbourne had higher vehicle utilisation than Paris, during the Olympics”, the spokesperson argued.
