Adelaide’s e-scooter trial extended as government delays new laws

The CBD e-scooter trial has been extended into its fifth year, but it will be the last one – as the state government passes new laws making them safer.

Adelaide City Council has extended the city e-scooter trial for ten months to allow the state government to pass new laws making them safer.

The council passed on Tuesday night a motion allowing the devices to continue to operate well into next year as the government finalises making them a permanent fixture on city footpaths or streets.

Private and hire vehicles have been popular since they were first allowed in 2019, recording 808,000 trips, and 1,121,000km travelled, as of October 2022.

Hire-vehicle operators pay the council $1530 per week in operational fees, but misuse, and riders who leave them scattered on footpaths, have raised the ire of council.

A government spokesman said it was now looking into the public response to a survey before introducing legislation.

“The Department for Infrastructure and Transport has received 1800 public survey responses and 75 email and telephone submissions to the public consultation, which closed on Sunday, May 21,’’ the spokesman said.

“These responses will now be thoroughly assessed in the coming months.

“In addition, the department is still waiting on further submissions from key local government stakeholders.”

Council on Tuesday night passed the trial extension, but only after Councillor Simon Hou successfully won an amendment by inserting the word “final” before “trial”.

An e-scooter in Adelaide CBD. Picture: Liam Cohen

The new laws would cover a plethora of electronic transports, either hired or owned by the public including:

ELECTRONIC scooters.

ELECTRONIC skateboards.

SINGLE wheel self-balancing devices.

SEGWAYS.

The laws would bring SA into line with the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.

But the vehicles are banned in New South Wales, and the Northern Territory.