E-scooters attracting more than 4,000 trips per day

New trip figures from the ACT’s two shared e-scooter providers show Canberrans are embracing micro-mobility, logging more than 4000 trips per day.

Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel said the strong uptake of both Neuron and Beam e-scooters highlights Canberrans are looking for new and different ways to get around our growing city.

“Since the share scheme commenced in September last year, e-scooters have proven an incredibly popular way for Canberrans to make short journeys linking to workplaces, tourist destinations, social activities and public transport,” Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel said.

“About 75 per cent of trips are short ones of between one and two kilometres, suggesting many Canberrans are adding e-scooters to other types of travel for ‘last mile’ mobility.

“This is a great option which can help make it easier and more convenient to choose public transport over a car, for example.

“With a median trip length of just over eight minutes, Canberrans also appear to be using the e-scooters for a good time, not for a long time.”

So far Saturdays are proving to be the most popular day of the week for e-scooter use, with Canberrans logging two to three times as many trips as on Mondays.

The single-day record for rides to date was on Saturday 21 November last year when passengers clocked up 9325 trips.

Use of the scooters is higher in the second half of the day, beginning to rise in the afternoon and peaking in the evening.

Early route analysis indicates particularly popular routes are emerging linking inner north suburbs like Turner and O’Connor with Braddon and the city.

“The e-scooters are still a relatively new addition to Canberra’s transport mix, and there’s more we need to understand about where and how they are contributing to helping people get around our city,” said Minister Steel.

“That’s why the ACT Government is undertaking a 6 month review of the shared e-scooter scheme with a view to improving safety, regulation and integration with the transport network.”

“The review will also consider licensed areas of operation, which is currently limited to Belconnen, the City, Inner North and Inner South, and if and how the scheme should be expanded going forward.

“We know the e-scooters have been a big topic of conversation across Canberra, so the review is being accompanied by a survey which delves into how they are being used and community sentiment towards them now that they are becoming a more familiar sight across Canberra.

“This survey is a great chance for people to have a say on the introduction of the e-scooter scheme in Canberra. I encourage both users and non-users to take part and share their thoughts,” Minister Steel said.

The ACT Government is also reminding e-scooter riders to be responsible and respect the range of rules that have been put in place to protect the safety of riders and other pedestrians.

“E-scooter riders need to wear helmets, use their judgement and travel at the appropriate and safe speed for the environment they are travelling in. They also need to be respectful to pedestrians and others,” Minister Steel said.

“That includes parking with consideration for others, and parking off the main path and away from stairs, ramps, light rail stops, bus stops and entry or exit ways.”

The e-scooter survey will be run through the ACT Government’s online insights panel. It will also be available from the Transport Canberra website at www.transport.act.gov.au until Friday 23 April 2021.

Key e-scooter from 1 September 2020 to 16 March 2011

Median trips per day: 4,035

Trip distance (median): 0.984km

Trip duration (median): 8:20 mins

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