Wollongong City Council will be trialling rentable e-scooters from Neuron Mobility, beginning on the 29th of September for 12 months.
Wollongong Mayor Gordon Bradbery is excited to introduce a mode of transportation that focuses on bringing convenience to permitted zones, where the trial will be. These zones encompass the University of Wollongong, the Wollongong CBD and Sandon Point Beach.
“We have worked really hard with Transport for NSW to deliver a trial zone that will allow people to really explore and use the Neuron e-scooters as an alternative transport mode and for them to go about their daily business with ease,” Mayor Bradbery said in a press release.
“This trial is not a green light for privately owned e-scooters to be ridden anywhere and anyhow.”
The e-scooters will be limited to 10km/h on shared pathways and up to 20km/h on roads. Riders must be 16 years and over to ride and the e-scooters can only be ridden in permitted zones, automatically shutting down when they leave geofenced areas. Only Neuron-branded e-scooters will be permitted, with privately owned e-scooters becoming illegal during the trial period. Wearing a helmet will also be mandatory.
General manager of Neuron in Australia and New Zealand, Jayden Bryant, has partnered with various cities around Australia, with Wollongong being their newest collaborator.
“We are delighted to have been chosen by Wollongong City Council to provide our e-scooters as part of the trial and thank them for their trust and support,” Jayden said.
“Elsewhere in Australia, e-scooters are significantly reducing congestion and emissions while also helping to boost the local economy.”
“Safety is our top priority, it dictates our e-scooter design and also the way we operate them.”
The trial will be closely monitored by Wollongong City Council acting general manager, Kerry Hunt, sharing how the council will oversee the trial.
“Once it’s launched, we’ll seek community feedback about the rollout, but at all times we’ll be asking our community to flag any safety concerns with us so that we can work with Transport for NSW and Neuron to make changes, if they’re needed.” Kerry said.
Issues with Neuron’s e-scooters can be reported on the Wollongong City Council website.