E-Scooters set to be legalised in NSW in bold plan to cut congestion

NSW is set to legalise e-scooters, including shared hire scooters, despite other jurisdictions banning them. It’s been praised as a win by some, while others believe it will cause “anarchy”. Tell us what you think in our poll.

Sydney’s streets are set for an explosion in e-scooters with Transport Minister Jo Haylen moving to legalise and regulate the highly contentious devices.

The bold plan to make e-scooters legal is designed to make it easier for commuters to access railway and Metro stations while cutting down on congestion, but critics say it will block footpaths and put pedestrians at risk.

The plan to legalise and regulate e-scooters is contained in an “E-mobility action plan” released ahead of a parliamentary inquiry into e-bikes and e-scooters.

While private e-scooters can be purchased in stores, it is currently illegal to ride them in public.

The laws have not stopped an explosion in the use of e-scooters in NSW: it is estimated that there are already 459,000 private e-scooters in the state.

Shared e-scooters are also outlawed, but trials are taking place in Kogarah, Albury, Forster-Tuncurry, and Wollongong.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen and Daily Telegraph journalist James O'Doherty ride electric scooters in Kogarah, ahead of the government’s decision to make them legal. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Central to Ms Haylen’s regulation plans will be rules consigning e-scooters to bike paths or shared zones.

Riders will need to be 16 and will be legally required to wear a helmet.

Transport for NSW’s e-scooter action plan spruiks e-scooters as a way to boost public transport use and decrease congestion, and as a “viable and efficient option for last-mile freight”.

The paper outlines a range of options for legalising e-scooters; it suggests investing in dedicated infrastructure like share paths and parking bays, and a crackdown on enforcement.

However, the report also outlines “safety concerns” of e-scooters: between 2020 and 2023, 124 e-scooter crashes were reported to police. Those crashes resulted in three deaths and 116 injuries, 40 of which were serious.

The safety concerns include users speeding, riding on footpaths, riding while drunk, and riding around vulnerable pedestrians.

The move to legalise e-scooters is in stark contrast to the approach of other jurisdictions, including Melbourne, where the city council banned shared e-scooters in August.

Ms Haylen said her decision is primarily to regulate the use of private e-scooters, but said the government will work with councils who want shared e-scooters.

Ms Haylen said that e-bikes and e-scooters are not “without controversy,” which is why new regulation is needed.

“Allowing people to ride an e-scooter to the shops or nearby train stations will take pressure off our roads and lessen competition for parking.”

“It’s a big win for everyone, we just have a bit more work to do to get the balance right,” she said.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said legalising e-scooters is a “win for everyone”. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Ms Haylen has found unlikely support for her plans from former Transport Minister David Elliott.

Mr Elliott, now Institute of Public Works Engineering CEO, said e-scooters need to be “embraced”.

“We can’t just put our heads in the sand,” he said.

“When engineering inevitably outgrows public policy, we can’t just ban something because its too hard to regulate it.”

Mr Elliott said that e-scooters should “under no circumstances” be allowed on footpaths, and called for new “designated cycleways” for their use.

However, the move to legalise e-scooters will outrage pedestrian advocates, including Pedestrian Council of Australia CEO Harold Scruby.

In his submission to the parliamentary inquiry into e-bikes and e-scooters, Mr Scruby labelled the explosion in private e-scooters and e-bikes as “pure anarchy”.

“To show such utter contempt for pedestrians and turn footpaths into hostile and potentially lethal environments defies belief,” he said.

“If not properly addressed, the proliferation of e-rideables could lead to a safety crisis akin to a public health pandemic,” he said in his submission.

Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email [e-mail]

Originally published as E-Scooters set to be legalised in NSW in bold plan to cut congestion