THIS weekend hired e-scooters will join cyclists and pedestrians along the busy beachside pathway between Sandon Point and Wollongong.

The bright orange Neuron e-scooters are available for hire as part of a 12-month trial as an alternative sustainable transport option in the region.

The hired e-scooters are now permitted along the shared northern pathway as far north as Sandon Point. They can also be ridden in parts of Woonona, Towradgi, Wollongong’s CBD and Keiraville.

There are plans to introduce e-scootering options outside the initial trial area in the following months once this phase has been completed.

Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said for some in the community, the trial could be a game changer in terms of how they navigate around the city and between the retail, business and food offerings in the heart of Wollongong, the University and socialise around our coastal areas on weekends.

“We appreciate that e-scooters might not be for everyone, and that’s okay. What we’re exploring through this trial is whether they’re of interest for people in our community who would prefer to hire one of them than hop in their car, ride a bike or take public transport,”Cr Bradbery said.

Under the trial, the Neuron-branded e-scooters will be permitted to be hired and ridden by riders 16 years and over on eligible roads and shared paths around the city.

The permitted zones are geofenced meaning the e-scooters will not work outside the zones:

• include sections of the CBD

• the foreshore pathways as far north as Sandon Point

• to the west of the CBD to capture the University of Wollongong

• TAFE West Wollongong

• the Innovation Campus.

Council has worked with Transport for NSW on the development and rollout of the trial and the zones the hired e-scooters are permitted. All privately-owned e-scooters will remain illegal.

As part of the initiative, Transport for NSW is leading a targeted education campaign that focusses on reminding people of the road rules that apply when using the devices. This includes wearing helmets, watching for pedestrians and cars and adhering to speed limits.

In the trial the scooters will be limited to a maximum speed of:

• 10km/h on shared pathways

• 20km/h on bike paths, or roads with speed limits up to 50km/h.

• E-scooters will continue not to be permitted on footpaths and only the Neuron-branded e-scooters will be allowed to be ridden.

To support the launch, Neuron will be holding a series of ScootSafe workshops in targeted locations to provide people the opportunity to learn from the experts how to ride safely.

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