Melbourne: Authorities vote to ban rented e-scooters

Melbourne is the latest city to ban e-scooter rentals. After a public outcry, the city abruptly terminated a trial contract with two companies.

Following a 6-4 vote in the city council late Tuesday, city authorities said they would give operators Lime and Neuron 30 days to rid the city center of the two-wheeled vehicles.

Mayor Nicholas Reece, a former executive at men’s health organisation Movember, supported the move and said he enjoyed public support.

He claimed that the scooters were scattered throughout the city “like confetti” and posed a danger to the population.

For their fans, e-scooters represent a revolution in transportation, allowing commuters to zip through crowded cities comfortably and inexpensively.

Critics say they are street litter that is dangerous and a hipster nuisance for peaceful pedestrians.

In just two decades, e-scooters have grown into a global market worth tens of billions of dollars a year.

But Melbourne follows cities from Barcelona to Montreal and bans or restricts the use of e-scooters.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales report that the proliferation of e-scooters has led to an increase in related injuries and hospital admissions, especially among men in their late 20s and early 30s.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital recorded 256 e-scooter-related injuries in 2022.

Rental company Neuron Mobility said Melbourne’s “drastic” decision was made without “decent discussion”.

“We still believe Melbourne is a great city for e-scooters,” Neuron’s local managing director Jayden Bryant told AFP.

“If given the opportunity, we could quickly implement a number of measures to address many, if not all, of the concerns raised by city councillors.”

arb/lec/fox