Sunshine Coast Council votes to end e-scooter trial after community feedback

The Sunshine Coast Council has unanimously voted to pull the pin on an e-scooter trial after community feedback revealed a majority of people did not want them on the region’s footpaths.

Neuron e-scooters at Mooloolaba will be a thing of the past.

The Sunshine Coast Council has unanimously voted to pull the pin on an e-scooter trial after community feedback revealed a majority of people did not want e-scooters on the region’s footpaths.

The council was provided with a review into the e-scooter trial with Neuron Mobility, which began last year, at the ordinary meeting on Thursday.

The review recommended the council end the trial on September 30 after 60 per cent of local survey respondents said they did not wish to see it continue.

Councillor Joe Natoli said there was a “very negative” reaction from the community at the beginning of the trial.

“The previous councillor for division eight got very strong feedback from his community and had he known that he probably wouldn’t have supported this trial, but I think it is good we went through this process,” Cr Natoli said.

Cr Natoli also called on the state government to introduce better legislation around e-scooter safety, addressing the community concerns around pedestrians and the use of footpaths.

Councillor Taylor Bunnag said the review into the trial with Neuron Mobility showed there was plenty of work to do to ensure the Sunshine Coast’s infrastructure could accommodate e-scooters in the future.

The decision came a week after school girl Ruby-Storm Sarahmay Kayrooz was hit by a car in Maroochydore as she rode her e-scooter to school.

The council will revisit the possibility of restarting the trial in 2026.

‘Not appropriate’: E-scooters in the firing line as trial findings revealed

A review into a controversial e-scooter trial has found it has “not achieved its intended purpose”, with the Sunshine Coast Council encouraged to pull the pin on the trial next month.

The Sunshine Coast Council’s e-scooter and e-bike trial with Neuron Mobility began in June last year and operated throughout Maroochydore and Mooloolaba to determine whether the community would “embrace” e-transport options in the area.

However, a review into the program by officers from the planning services group recommended the trial end after the agreed period, which falls on September 30.

The review stated the trial had not shown a “failure” but was inappropriate for the region, with 60 per cent of local survey respondents saying they did not support an extension of the trial.

“There were no critical failures or indications of negligence in the operation of the trial,” the review stated.

“However, through the review a number of areas were identified which indicated that continuation of an e-transport hire trial is not appropriate.”

Neuron Mobility was been chosen by Sunshine Coast Council to run an 18-month trial.

The review also stated there had been “limited uptake” of the hire e-scooters compared with other local government areas in the state.

The recommendation comes as the Sunshine Coast University Hospital revealed 118 people had been treated in the emergency department for injuries sustained while riding e-scooters within the past 12 months.

Sunshine Coast Dr Andrew Hobbins-King said a majority of those people were treated for significant injuries.

“The data shows a large pediatric cohort of patients under the age of 18 contributing to 56.8 per cent of presentations, and the vast majority of overall presentations were male amounting to 72.9 per cent,” Dr Hobbins-King said.

“Injuries also seem to vary between presentations; however, the majority of patients did have significant injuries, with 61 per cent of patients having at least one fractured bone. Injuries varied from mild abrasions and lacerations to fractures, collapsed lungs, and brain bleeds.”

It was recommended the council revisit the widespread use of e-scooters in 2026.

The council will consider the review at the ordinary meeting next week.