City of Perth could soon be second metropolitan WA council to launch trial of e-scooter rentals

The City of Perth is on its way to becoming the second metropolitan council in WA to test renting electric scooters. The City of Stirling introduced a 12-month trial of e-scooter hiring in February but City of Perth officers have recommended the capital city introduce a two-year trial of an e-scooter share scheme. Esperance, Bunbury and Rockingham are also leading e-scooter share trials. If the council agrees at its meeting next Tuesday to endorse the trial, a draft tender document will be prepared. Councillors will also vote on a recommendation to bring the outcomes of the tender process back to the council before it enters into any agreements with operators and starts the trial. “Some inner city local governments as well as UWA and the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority have expressed preliminary interest in the opportunity for possible collaboration on a joint e-scooter share scheme trial with the City of Perth,” a city report said. A city spokesperson said they were unable to provide the names of the interested inner-city local governments until those stakeholders had decided whether or not to take part in the trial. The report said the city would continue to liaise with interested stakeholders but if a “timely agreement” was not reached it could still progress the project on its own. “It is proposed that the City of Perth will lead the procurement of an e-scooter share scheme,” it said. “Other project stakeholders could potentially become involved if and when they are ready to do so. “Flexibility to accommodate this would need to be built into the tender documentation and negotiated with the operators.” The city’s e-scooter rental trial program is proposed to include a two-year contract for two successful operators, with an option to extend. Tender submissions are proposed to include a pricing model that considers the possible involvement of other stakeholders and profit distribution between all parties. “There are potentially substantial financial benefits for having an e-scooter share scheme within the city, including possible revenue from fees for permits, consent and per trip,” the report said. Tender submissions will also have to include a work plan and how operators will control, manage and restrict the movement of e-scooters through heavy pedestrian areas such as malls. Operators will also be required to demonstrate they have adequate insurance cover for any injuries or damage that may result from use of its e-scooters, and which names and indemnifies the City — and other participating stakeholders — from any legal liability. The city proposes operators nominate sites for docking and parking areas in their tender submissions and explain why they are appropriate, and what incentives and disincentives could be used to encourage users to return or dock e-scooters safely after use. According to the report, amendments to the Road Traffic Code 2000 which came into effect on December 4 in WA opened the door for the City of Perth to look at introducing e-scooter hire services. New laws on e-rideables include a user age minimum of 16 and a travel speed of no faster than 25km/h when on shared paths and bicycle paths, and on local roads where the speed limit is 50km/h or less and there are no road markings. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the City of Stirling since the launch of its e-scooter rental program, with Mirrabooka detectives reporting this week a man in his 20s was blinded in one eye and received several facial fractures and a fractured arm after an incident in Trigg on Friday. The man was travelling on one of the city’s outsourced orange rental scooters south of the West Coast Drive footpath at 9.30pm alongside another male on an e-scooter when the occupants of a white sedan travelling on the road next to them threw or fired a potato at the scooters. The injured man remains in hospital.