Year-long e-scooter trial set for summer in Norwood, Payneham & St Peters; Tender also put out for scooters along the western coast
Electronic scooters will be free to roam through Adelaide’s inner eastern suburbs if a council’s proposed trial is approved. Meanwhile on the western beaches a tender has been put out for more scooter operators.
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Electronic scooters could be ridden all over the Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council area under a 12-month “warts and all” trial.
The council wants to run the trial city-wide from this summer before a permanent arrangement is considered.
However, the Transport Minister would have to grant approval for the use of e-scooters on NP&SP footpaths.
Council staff are currently working with Campbelltown, Unley and Prospect councils for a “regional e-scooter trial” for the Minister to approve.
It could potentially allow the use of an e-scooter across multiple councils.
In another step forward for the proposal, elected members capped local e-scooter numbers at 250 in NP&SP.
NP&SP Mayor Robert Bria told The Messenger e-scooter riders would be free to roam all over the city if the trial was approved.
“We think it’s worthwhile to trial but we also think it has to be a trial without too many incumberances so we get a full picture of the risks and benefits that e-scooters provide,” Mr Bria said.
“If we limited the scope of the trial, we might not get the full picture and not make a fully informed decision.
“It’s a warts and all trial, so to speak, so we’re fully informed of all the risks and the benefits.
“We want to get a full picture across the seasons.”
NP&SP has been approached by two operators looking to introduce services in the area. However, Mr Bria would not say which companies might provide e-scooters.
He said the timing was right to trial e-scooters in the suburbs away from the Adelaide CBD.
The council could implement “geo-fencing” to restrict access in certain areas if e-scooters were permanently permitted in NP&SP alone.
“The device can be programmed so it can’t go beyond council boundaries,” he said.
“We’re not doing that yet, but it’s an option.”
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Under the trial, council would limit scooter parking to four sections around The Parade: Webbe St car park, Norwood Town Hall, bike parking near Norwood Place and the southeast corner of Osmond Tce and The Parade.
Parking would also be limited to Norwood Oval, The Parade West and Grenfell St in Kent Town and near Riverside Drive, Felixstow.
The council would also implement speed limit restrictions to 15km/h.
If the trial is approved, the council is expected to complete a six month trial to gauge initial interest.
“If there isn’t the demand we thought there might be, we might lower the number of devices around, or increase it,” he said.
Beachside e-scooters to lure foreign tourists
It is hoped thousands of cruise ship tourists could be lured to Adelaide’s beaches as western council search for two outfits to operate e-scooters on the coast.
Four councils have agreed to take a unified approach to the scooters, which would allow them to go all the way from Outer Harbor down to Seacliff – a 30km stretch.
But the councils have been told by Transport Minister Stephan Knoll that he will not accept their plan until a CBD trial of e-scooters ends in January, meaning they will not be ready this summer.
Under the tender, put out by the Local Government Association, two suppliers would each be allowed to deploy up to 500 scooters, which would be geofenced to stop them straying from the coast and surrounding streets.
There would also be a number of forced 5km/h zones in areas with high pedestrian traffic and a ban on the use of scooters between 9pm and 6am.
A six month, $8000 permit would first be issued – with a review after three months – and long-term contracts would be considered if the trial was a success.
Lime Mobility – which previously had a trial contract with the Adelaide City Council but later lost it to competing operators Beam and Ride – has confirmed it will tender for the coastal permit.
Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Claire Boan said the scooters would bring masses of tourists off cruise ships docked at Outer Harbor to suburban beaches.
“It’s a beautiful path to use and a lot of people don’t get to enjoy what’s there when they get off the cruise ship,” Mrs Boan said.
“They’ll be able to visit without them needing to get on a train or public transport.”
She also anticipated they would be used by visitors who could not get a park in the heart of places such as Semaphore or Glenelg.
Ms Boan was, however, “incredibly disappointed” the scooters could not be rolled out until the existing CBD trial was complete.
Tenders close on Tuesday, October 22 and contracts will be issued on Friday, November 1.