E-scooters to hit Rockhampton with Neuron chosen as the operator

Rockhampton’s new e-scooters will have strict safety features, boundaries where they can be ridden and hire will need to be paid for through an app – meaning they can’t just be picked up and thrown in the river. READ THE FULL GUIDE HERE.

E-scooters will officially zoom onto Rockhampton streets for hire from February 24, but there will be strict conditions around their use and new laws are due to come into place in coming weeks.

Operator Neuron Mobility was successful in the tender to provide Rockhampton Regional Council with e-scooters and will have 300 e-scooters available for hire throughout the city.

Neuron has established a workshop on Alma Street and has employed 15 staff, with another 10 to go, to make up its 24 hour operations team.

The staff are to monitor that the e-scooters are parked responsibly, relocate them to high use areas when required and ensure they are clean, safe and charged for use.

There has been speculation that the e-scooters will end up in the Fitzroy River – but that is actually quite hard to do.

Neuron’s e-scooters are equipped with multiple safety features include geofencing, which controls where they are ridden, parked and how fast they can travel in certain areas.

The map of the e-scooter ride zone in Rockhampton.

The ride zone has been specifically set up for Rockhampton, keeping the river in mind, with only the footpath closest to the river and the Northside riverside out of bounds.

There are also no-parking zones on the Fitzroy and Neville Hewitt bridges.

“That will mean the scooters aren’t close by and just removes a lot of the risk,” Neuron regional manager Tim Morris said.

“Every scooter is GPS tracked as well so if it does end up in a place where it shouldn’t be, our local team will be straight on it, relocate the scooter and make sure we can get it back to where it needs to be.”

The e-scooters also need to be unlocked and booked through the Neuron app and paid for before use.

Single trips will cost $1 to unlock the e-scooter and then 45 cents per minute.

There are also options for passes and subscription services.

Other safety features include integrated helmets, a 000 emergency button, voice guidance, Follow My Ride - which allows riders to share their trip in real time - and topple detection.

There has also been some criticism the e-scooters look messy, as they can be dumped on the side of the road.

To tackle this, suggested parking spots are incorporated in the Neuron app, and riders will get a discount if they park there.

At the end of each trip, riders are required to take a photograph of where they are parking their e-scooter and the local team reviews each photo.

“If it’s not parked correctly, we will educate the customers on how to park correctly in the future and our local team will head out and correct where that scooter is parked,” Mr Morris said.

Rockhampton region Mayor Tony Williams said it was a great transport option without having to worry about parking your car.

“You can jump on an e-scooter and easily park it right outside your destination,” he said.

“No more circling the block looking for the ideal parking spot; not only for our locals but our visitors as well.

“We have some fantastic heritage buildings along Quay Street and also just being able to travel around some of our sporting venues and retail venues.”

Advance Rockhampton Greg Bowden, Mayor Tony Williams and Neuron's Tim Morris.

Advance Rockhampton put out expressions of interest in early 2021 and received six responses from operators around the world.

Neuron e-scooters are visibly larger with 11.5 inch wheels and wider footplates than other e-scooters for added stability, along with world-first safety features.

The company has e-scooters in Brisbane, Townsville and Bundaberg, with Rockhampton the third launch for the company this month, alongside Perth and Melbourne.

“We spent the last 12 months choosing an operator and Neuron is that operator,” Mr Bowden said.

“Neuron were chosen for their safety record and working with Australian councils.”

The Queensland Government at the weekend announced new e-scooter regulations, however no date has been set down for when they will come into effect.

The new laws include lower speeds of 12km/hr on footpaths, mandated warning devices, safety education campaigns, clearer signage and markings, improved data recording and injury reporting, road rule amendments, new high-risk e-scooter offences including drink and drug driving penalties and cracking down on dangerous and irresponsible behaviour.

Mr Morris said Neuron had reacted to the new regulations positively.

“The focus for us is on safety, we want to see everyone following the riding rules, being as careful as possible when riding this new mode of transport,” he said.

“We are really happy to see some common sense reform in the e-scooter regulations.

“We certainly encourage users to slow down on footpaths, give way to pedestrians, every scooter has a bell, use the bell, respect pedestrians as you are coming past.

“We want people to understand scooters are not a toy, they are a fun way to get around town but they are a new mode of transport.”

ScootSafe events

Neuron staff will hold safety briefings to learn how to ride the e-scooters. Participants will be rewarded with free e-scooter credits for future rides.

• Thursday February 24, 11am to 3pm: Out the front of Zambreros, East Street
• Saturday February 26, 12pm to 5pm: Rockhampton Aquatic Centre (southside pool)
• Saturday March 5, 12pm to 5pm: Kershaw Gardens
• Saturday March 12, 12pm to 5pm: Fitzroy River walk

E-scooters riding rules and safety tips

• Riders must be 18 years old and above
• E-scooters can be ridden on footpaths and shared paths and low-speed roads with a speed limit less than 50km/h and no dividing line
• E-scooters cannot be ridden on on-road bicycle lanes
• Only one rider allowed per e-scooter, and no tandem riding with children
• Wearing a helmet is mandatory, there is one on every e-scooter
• Maintain a safe distance between riders and pedestrians
• Give way to pedestrians and mobility devices (such as wheelchairs) at all times
• Do not ride under the influence of alcohol or any other substance
• Park responsibly, don’t obstruct access areas, don’t park too close to a junction