West Torrens Council gives green light to report on e-scooter trial

The fleet of hundreds of Lime e-scooters banished this week from the CBD might soon find a new home in city-rim suburbs.

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The fleet of hundreds of Lime e-scooters banished this week from the CBD might soon find a new home in city-rim suburbs, starting in West Torrens.

After a lively debate exposing sharp differences on the vexed topic, a majority of West Torrens councillors voted on Tuesday night for a report on a possible e-scooter trial.

A push for other councils to follow suit – including Charles Sturt and Norwood, Payneham and St Peters – could provide a new lease of life for Lime scooters, which had its 500-strong fleet banned from the city this week.

Championing the e-scooters cause, Cr Brandon Reynolds told the West Torrens meeting: “I am excited about welcoming electric scooters into West Torrens, as least for a trial, so we can see if the many benefits the City of Adelaide are enjoying can be shared by members of our community.”

He said West Torrens should “show ourselves off as a city which welcomes global technology innovators” and should be looking to “entice global players into our community”.

The council, he argued, was well placed to partner with e-scooter companies to negotiate a service fee or fee per ride to be paid to West Torrens as part of a formal arrangement.

“This is to fund any out-of-pocket expenses for taking part in the trial and further developing our community broadly,” he said.

Lime Scooter staff Ali Bayati, Tim Kelly, Jeff Roberts and Zak Bishop outside their warehouse on April 14 – their final day of Lime’s operation. Picture: AAP/Morgan Sette.

Cr Daniel Huggett said he had witnessed how well the e-scooter phenomenon worked in smaller cities in the US and urged councillors to at least back a trial. “If it doesn’t work out, simply get rid of it,” he said.

However, a number of councillors voiced concerns that e-scooters were not suited for use in the suburbs, particularly areas like West Torrens with its high percentage of elderly people.

Cr Kym McKay said e-scooters were “trendy but not practical” for suburban footpaths, which already had numerous trip and safety hazards.

Mayor Michael Coxon said footpaths were congested now – with gofers, bicycles, Zimmer frames and skateboards, and the addition of e-scooters raised “serious concerns about safety”.

He conceded, though, that e-scooters might have a place for holidaymakers who wanted to explore the coast from Glenelg to Henley Beach.

Councillors voted 9-4 in favour of the administration preparing a report, expected within a month, on whether a West Torrens trial should go ahead.