Encore for a Significant Hurdle: Electric Scooters now Legal in Victoria

Startling great news! Electric Privately-owned e-scooters now legal in Victoria! Personal e-scooters will no longer be illegal beginning April 5.

You heard it right! The news was released mere days after Victoria confirmed it will lift a ban on personal electric scooters as part of an extension of the divisive trial.

Roads Minister Melissa Horne had likewise made an announcement that there will be a six-month extension to the trial involving scooter hire companies Lime and Neuron. The two companies have previously deployed 2500 scooters across the Melbourne, Yarra and Port Phillip council areas.

With the Victorian minister’s announcement on the extension of e-scooter trial, Home added that “We know e-scooters are popular with many Victorians – so we’re extending the trial in Victoria under these strict regulations to ensure people travel responsibly and safely.”

The previous months showed thousands of hired scooters taking to inner-Melbourne streets to let their protests be heard. Advocates affirm that e-scooters can have a positive contribution to Melbourne’s transport landscape, and they are confident too, that electric scooters will have a positive role on the public transport network as these personal mobility devices will provide a low-emissions alternative to cars on short journeys.

Erstwhile the divisive trials that were affecting hire scooters and their hire companies, all privately owned e-scooters in the region were arbitrarily classified as unregistered vehicles in Victoria, whereupon riding them in public can cost the rider, or riders a fine of up to $925.

For her part, Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne had confirmed the state government’s decision that it will lift a ban on personal electric scooters as part of an extension of a controversial trial of hire scooters in inner Melbourne.

She also announced that under the expanded trial, personal mobility devices, which are already widely sold by major retailers, will be allowed on public roads from April 5.

The announcement is said to have been met with resounding shouts and cheers. To the e-scooter riders and owners, the long wait is finally over and done with. Such sweet triumph too. To all concerned Victorians, the time to move forward has come, especially for private e-scooter owners.

Furthermore, Horne also said the government would carry out more work through the new six-month extension to help both the electric scooter riders and the public understand more about product safety standards, rider education. Another issue that would be considered is if the fines for illegal behavior were suitable and appropriate.

April 5, 2023 will be freedom day for e-scooter owners, especially for private scooters as they will be permitted on roads with speed limits of up to 60km/h (an increase from 50km/h in the trial), in bike lanes and on shared paths. However, these rideables will remain illegal on footpaths.

On a similar scene, in another state, in particular New South Wales, trials on shared electric scooters have already begun, and it is still ongoing. Mearth Technology, renowned Australian maker of premium, top-tier, high-performing, environment-friendly electric scooters, namely Mearth S Series commuter e-scooters, Mearth RS Series ultimate long-range electric scooters, Mearth GTS EVO Series on-and-off-terrain, heavy duty electric scooters, and Mearth Cyber, futuristic electric scooter, all under the well-loved brand Mearth, has not given up on advocating for the legalization of personal or private electric scooters, where these personal mobility devices will be officially allowed to be ridden on roads, albeit complying with the NSW city’s laws new promulgation.

In 2022, peaceful demonstrations were held by concerned private e-scooter owners in NSW to make their sentiments heard by the lawmakers, and to appeal for the inclusion of privately owned electric scooters and to be allowed in the trials.

To this day, the trials legalizing the use of shared e-scooters have not yet been decided upon and resolved. The ongoing trials on shared-e-scooters are going to continue up till 2024. The exclusion of privately owned electric scooters still hangs in the balance, the fate of which are foggy and uncertain to the stakeholders.