The Sunshine Coast Council has decided to end its shared e-scooter trial after receiving feedback from the community. A survey revealed that 60% of respondents wanted the trial to cease due to safety and amenity concerns. As a result, the council voted to scrap the scheme, citing “modest usage” as one of the reasons behind their decision.
About 400 e-scooters operated by Neuron will be removed from the streets of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast following the cancellation of the trial. This move comes in the wake of the City of Melbourne terminating its contract with e-scooter hire companies due to similar safety issues and resident complaints.
The trial on the Sunshine Coast, which began last year, imposed strict conditions such as curfews and parking restrictions and was limited to a small central area. Despite these measures, concerns over safety and the impact on the community prompted the council to discontinue the program.
Following the decision to end the trial, the council has indicated the possibility of reintroducing a revised scheme in 2026. However, this would depend on addressing the issues that led to the termination of the current trial.
During the trial period, approximately 40,000 unique users took 131,000 trips on the e-scooters, with an average journey distance of about two kilometers. However, Deputy Mayor Maria Suarez noted that the trial did not significantly reduce car usage, indicating that the shared e-scooter scheme was not competitive enough to change residents’ transportation habits.
Neuron, the operator of the e-scooter trial, expressed disappointment at the council’s decision, criticizing the restrictive conditions imposed during the trial. The company highlighted the safety features of their e-scooters, including geofencing technology, to ensure rider safety and responsible usage.
Despite the setbacks faced by Neuron in Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast, the company remains optimistic about the future of e-scooter programs in other cities. They emphasized the need for more relaxed regulations, additional parking stations, and the removal of curfews to enhance the service and encourage greater uptake.
The council’s decision to end the e-scooter trial reflects the challenges faced by local governments in balancing the benefits of innovative transportation solutions with concerns over safety and community well-being. As the e-scooter industry continues to evolve, operators like Neuron will need to adapt to varying regulatory environments to ensure the success and sustainability of their services.