Victoria’s controversial e-scooter trial to extend by six months

The state government will soon extend its e-scooter trial across Melbourne, permitting both private scooters and younger riders to take part in the program.

More electric scooters are set to hit Victorian roads, with the state government extending its trial and opening it up to private scooters and younger riders.

Roads Minister Melissa Horne will on Thursday announce a six-month extension of the state’s e-scooter pilot, which last year allowed companies Lime and Neuron to provide hire scooters on city streets.

Since then more than 3.7m trips have been taken in Melbourne and the state has now moved to expand the amount of riders and the places they can travel.

Privately-owned e-scooters are now included in the trial and the age limit for riders has been lowered from 18 to 16.

A six-moth extension of Victoria’s e-scooter pilot will be announced this week. Picture: Richard Walker

Riders can also use roads with a speed limit of 60km/h or less, up from the 50km/h limit currently in place.

The changes will come to effect on April 5.

“We know e-scooters are popular with many Victorians – so we’re extending the trial in Victoria under these strict regulations to ensure people travel responsibly and safely,” Ms Horne said.

“Riders should always wear a helmet, stick to the speed limit, only ride on roads under 60km/h – and never ride on the footpath or with another person.”

There are about 2500 hire scooters available across the Melbourne, Port Phillip and Yarra council areas.

Privately-owned scooters are available for sale at stores across Victoria but until now their use on the state’s roads has been illegal.

Roads Minister Melissa Horne is giving the thumbs up to extend the state’s e-scooter pilot. Picture: Alison Wynd

Riders must follow the same alcohol and drug restricts as motorists and are allowed to use bicycle lanes but not pedestrian footpaths.

They cannot travel about 20km/h and any scooter that can go faster than 25km/h is not covered by the trial and considered illegal.

The government estimates about 400 tonnes of carbon have been saved through e-scooter trips, with data showing riders largely use them for leisure, social events or commuting.

They are also available in Ballarat and more than 200,000 trips have been taken since they were introduced.

Despite their popularity, the rollout of e-scooters has presented new challenges for police and road users.

Anna Moreton rides a Lime Scooter. Photo Lachie Millard

Earlier this year, the Herald Sun revealed there were 252 crashes involving e-scooters between December 1, 2021 and November 30, 2022.

Over the same time police issued 827 infringements, with people most commonly fined for not wearing helmets and riding on footpaths.

Peak body Victoria Walks has warned that underage use is common among school kids even though it can attract a fine of $185.

The Andrews government will spend the next six months on further research into better standards for product safety, changes to fines and educating riders.

An oversight panel is expected to make recommendations about the future of the scooters once the pilot program is finished.

A Victoria Police spokesman said they had only just been told about the extension of the trial.

“We will now take the time to understand the changes before making any further comment.”