They are part of a one-year trial of 1750 e-scooters from Neuron Mobility (orange scooters) and Lime (green and white), which have been distributed across the municipalities of Melbourne, Port Phillip, Yarra and Ballarat.
Costing 45 cents a minute of riding, plus an additional $1 to unlock, the e-scooters have been hailed by many as an affordable, enjoyable and eco-savvy way of getting around.
But authorities are urging the safe and responsible use of the e-scooters amid their soaring popularity, with hundreds of riders already caught flouting the law.
According to the latest official data, Victoria Police has issued more than 350 e-scooter infringements since the trial came into effect in February.
Offenders include users of the trial e-scooters as well as people riding privately-owned e-scooters, which – unbeknownst to many – are illegal in public spaces, including roads, bicycle lanes and footpaths.
Inspector Sharon Congreve said the only place a privately-owned e-scooter can be legally ridden in Victoria is on private land.
“Commercially available e-scooters with a motor of over 200 watts or that can travel at more than 10 kilometres an hour – which is most of them – are classified as motor vehicles and, therefore, are subject to the same requirements of motor vehicles with regards to licensing, registration and road rules,” Insp. Congreve explained.
“They’re physically incapable of being registered as a motor vehicle because they’ll never meet the safety standards.”
Under the current law, the only e-scooters that are allowed to be ridden on Victorian roads are those used in the trial, which are only approved in the four participating municipalities.
“The Victorian government is undertaking the controlled trial of e-scooters to understand the benefits and risks associated with this new transport technology and to test if those vehicles can safely fit into the state’s transport network longer term,” Insp. Congreve said.
“The e-scooters that are part of the trial are incapable of exceeding 20 kilometres per hour, unlike most of the privately-owned e-scooters.
“They’re geofenced, so once they hit the outer perimeters of each of the four local government areas, they shut down.
“Each of them has a unique registration and tracking applications.”
The trial e-scooters are only able to be ridden on bike lanes, shared paths and low-speed roads, while footpaths are off limits.
Riders must be at least 18 years old, below the driving alcohol limit, and ride with the helmet appended to each e-scooter.
Anyone caught failing to wear a bicycle helmet will be slapped with a $227 fine, while those riding on a footpath face a $182 fine.
Those thinking of hiring an e-scooter or riding their own as a cheap and easy way of getting home from the pub may want to think again: riding while under the influence of alcohol can attract a fine of $227.
“Police have the power to demand a preliminary breath test or an oral fluid test to detect drugs other than alcohol,” Insp. Congreve said.
“Normal drink- and drug-driving penalties apply, including the accumulation of demerit points and the ability of Victoria Police to seize the e-scooter being ridden.
“Safety comes first for us, and people riding e-scooters under the influence of drugs or alcohol creates a safety risk for both the rider of the e-scooter and also the greater community.”
Insp. Congreve added that the most prevalent infringements to date have been related to riders failing to wear a helmet, people riding on footpaths and people under the age of 18 riding e-scooters.
“The majority of infringement notices handed out have been for privately-owned e-scooters,” she said.
“But thanks to a holistic approach to enforcement, we’re seeing a downturn.
“Victoria Police has set out to have dedicated operations in the trial areas to educate people using e-scooters on the legislation; we’re also providing our frontline units with educational resources so that they’re aware of what the provisions are in terms of enforcement.”
Insp. Congreve encourages road users to do their research before buying a privately-owned e-scooter and refer to the VicRoads website for up-to-date information on regulations associated with the government trial.
It is hoped that as the trial progresses, more members of the public will become informed and aware of the legislation on e-scooters so that the vehicles can be incorporated into the state’s transport system in a safe and effective way.
