SA government changes road rules to allow use of e-scooters and other personal mobility devices

Australia Broadcast Center

6 hours ago

Private e-scooters and other electronic mobility devices will be allowed on some public roads and footpaths in South Australia from next month, under strict rules.
Advocates say it will ease congestion and give commuters more flexibility, but others remain worried about public safety.
From July 13, e-scooters, e-skateboards and other e-mobility devices can be legally used for people over 16 under certain conditions.
Riders of all devices can travel at no more than 10 kilometres per hour on footpaths, beaches and shared pathways.
E-scooters will be allowed on roads with speed limits of 60kph or less but can only travel in the bike lane and only at speeds of 25kph or less.
Helmets will have to be worn, and riders will need to steer clear of drugs and alcohol, extra passengers and using their phone while driving.
Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said to assist with the law changes, a campaign will be run for people to learn the rules.
"The state government has taken its time because we want to get this right," Mr Koutsantonis said.
"The reason we've taken our time is because this is new technology and I believe it's going to be embraced.
Prior to this move, e-scooters were legal to operate on private properties but not on public roads.
Riders will not need a licence or registration for their personal mobility device.
Other devices including e-skateboards and e-solo-wheels will be allowed on roads where the limit is 50kph or less, and must travel at 25kph or slower.
E-scooters were first introduced in Adelaide in early 2019 where the company Lime offered them to use for trial — which was then followed by companies Beam and Ride.
South Australia is not the first state to introduce the laws, Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT and Tasmania have already legalised public use.
Mr Koutsantonis said there would be hefty consequences for those who did not follow the rules, including fines and potential loss of demerit points.
"We want to keep people safe … and I think there is going to be a rush to use these devices," he said.
"It's going to take a bit of time as well to educate the public about the roll-out of these e-scooters so the government's beginning an awareness campaign to let people know what the rules are.
"Also, just to make sure we've got it right, we'll be conducting a review 12 months from now just so we can tweak this if we need to."
RAA Senior Manager Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain said he believed the change is something that the community wanted.
"Being able to legally ride these devices on the road now is a great step forward," he said.
"I think the other critical part about this is the age limit that's been put in place … so potentially this provides the opportunity for school students, for example, to take short journeys to and from school legally."
Under the new laws, e-scooters and personal mobility devices will not be permitted on public transport, including buses, trains and trams.
While many have welcomed next month's changes, some members of the public remain concerned about public safety.
Peter Aspinall is vision-impaired and uses a cane.
He said e-scooters are hazardous on footpaths.
"People like me don't see them until we walk into them," he said.
"We injure ourselves and then it becomes a doctor's scenario ... I think it's ridiculous."
However, Isabel Martin said it will have a positive impact on the environment.
"It's a carbon-neutral way in doing it, it's really positive, as long as there are restrictions and ways in which people can slow down, make sure we're not causing congestion."
Students Jett Pearce and Pat Dewing said it would help young people get around the city and to school.
"I'd say it's a good way of getting around if you don't have a car and getting to school," Pat said.
"I reckon that'd be pretty good for the people that live around Adelaide and [find] it hard to get around," Jett said.
"I don't have my full licence yet so it would make it easy."