SA government to draft legislation for personal e-scooter use, ownership after survey response

The government is expected to draft legislation allowing the use of private e-scooters, after a survey showed respondents supported their use.

The government is expected to draft legislation allowing the use of private e-scooters after 87 per cent of respondents supported their use on public roads and paths.

It will also consider changing the age restriction for personal mobility devices to 16 years – a reduction from the current 18 years – and review speed limits on public infrastructure such as footpaths and bike lanes.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the results of the survey were “unequivocal”, with 1822 people having their say and 87 per cent supporting the ongoing use of e-scooters on public roads and paths.

“About half of the survey participants indicated that they already use the fleet e-scooters that are currently permitted under trial, on average travelling between one and 3km per trip,” he said.

“It’s clear there is an appetite for sustainable modes of transport including first and last mile options, and this understanding will now inform a future framework currently under consideration for personal mobility devices, which will help ensure their future use is safe for all road users.”

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the responses to the survey were ‘unequivocal’. Picture: Morgan Sette

Almost 95 of respondents were from metropolitan Adelaide, 50 per cent were aged 30-49 years, and more than 70 per cent were male.

Survey participants were asked about device weight restrictions, speed limits, insurance and registration.

Respondents generally supported allowing foldable e-scooters to be carried on public transport for first and last mile travel, and there was greater support for the option of ‘on-road’ travel such as bike lanes.

The final report noted the YourSAy respondents supported a significantly higher speed limit of 25km/h than recommended under the National Transport Commission for the safe use of PMDs.

However, the majority of responses supported lower speeds of 10km/h for footpaths.

Respondents supported the higher speed limit when in bike lanes and on roads, where permitted, and ongoing support for riders to wear helmets, not use a mobile phone, and have a blood alcohol limit of 0.05 per cent.

“E-Scooters and other personal mobility devices are becoming more and more popular around the world, including here in Adelaide where more than one million e-scooter trips have been recorded since 2020 under council-driven trials.

“Because of their popularity and benefits for sustainability and mobility, we committed to meaningful engagement with South Australians to deliver a sustainable and future-proof law reform.”

The state government will move to draft legislation expanding the use of personal e-scooters after an overhwleming response to a YourSAy survey.

Current SA laws permit e-scooters only under trial conditions operating in the Adelaide CBD and North Adelaide, the Norwood, Payneham and St Peters, Charles Sturt and Unley councils.

The report the government will consider also found “less than 0.5 per cent of ‘other’ road users’ surveyed” had an incident resulting in injury with an e-scooter rider.

The survey received 55 individual written submissions, 20 from organisations and eight phone responses.

Fewer respondents supported e-scooter use on roads with a maximum speed of 50km/h, but more than 83 per cent did support their used on shared paths such as Linear Park.

Use on bicycle paths such as Patrick Jonker Veloway received almost 83 per cent support, while almost 80 per cent supported their use within bike lane marks on roads.

More than 72 per cent supported their use on footpaths.