The trial rules are so restrictive that there is no reason not to try it, with a mind to look at opening up footpaths outside the CBD to scooters and bikes (like Brisbane and Canberra do) with amazing benefit to everyone.
Come on CofS!!

Most people riding private scooters want to be law abiding citizens, and the use of electric scooters is reasonable with very little public harm to anyone but the scooter riders themselves.

Like cycling, it should be our choice as to whether we can do so.

Many Australian and international jurisdictions regulate the use of electric scooters and other personal mobility devices and permit their use in public spaces. Some scooters are capable of speeds of up to 100km/h and can travel 100kms and are now available in shops and online, presenting safety risks in the absence of appropriate legislation.

The benefits of electric scooters are many:

· They reduce travel time, where they replace short car or walking trips.

· They provide better access to public transport, by reducing first and last mile transport problems

· They reduce urban congestion. Each scooter ride is one less car on the road.

· They have lower environmental impact. It uses very little electricity to charge a scooter, while car use causes significantly more pollution.

· There are significantly lower costs to run electric scooters. This benefits lower socio-economic groups, and students, groups who may not be able to afford to buy and maintain cars.

· The rate of accidents that cause death or significant injury are considerably lower with scooters. They are also considerably less likely to impact other people when those accidents occur

· They cause significantly less harm than most other forms of transportation. People talk about the fear of being hit, but the reality is, someone running on foot at high speed could hit you just as hard and cause significant injuries. I don’t see people banning running.

· It is a way to socially distance from other people during Covid times.

· It is better for the economy.

The NSW Productivity Commission produced a Research and Discussion paper, investigating the possible benefits of regulating emerging technologies. It investigated the use of drones, electric bikes and electric scooters and found that revising laws to support the use of PMDs in NSW could unlock significant net economic benefits, close to $100 million dollars over the next 20 years. It suggested an increase in GDP of 2% from improved regulations on these emerging technologies and that the benefits outweigh negative impacts on active transport, safety, and enforcement costs.