Shared e-scooters will be rolling out across Lake Macquarie in a few weeks time as part of a 12-month trial with Beam.
They will be able to be ridden along the Fernleigh Track, the Croudace Bay Foreshore, the Warners Bay Foreshore up to Glendale and the Toronto Foreshore to Fassifern Train Station.
The e-scooters will be limited to those four routes by geo-fencing technology, fixing their operating range to the designated tracks and stopping them from going on roads or footpaths.
Anyone over 16 can take one for a spin, but helmets must be worn and riders must keep to a 10km/h speed limit.
100 of the shared e-scooters will be made available for the trial. They will be accessible via the Beam app, and feature pay-as-you-go rates, virtual docking, as well as an in-app and in-person ‘safety school’.
The company’s three-strikes policy will be in place with anyone not adhering to the rules to be suspended from the platform.
Minister for Active Transport Rob Stokes said the NSW Government has worked closely with Lake Macquarie’s economic development company Dantia and e-scooter provider Beam to start the process of figuring out how to safely integrate them onto local roads and shared paths.
“Trials like this one in Lake Macquarie are incredibly important in learning how we can achieve that. Riders will be permitted to travel along selected shared paths while wearing a helmet and keeping within the speed limits,” Mr Stokes said.
Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser is happy to see the new mode of transport trialed in the city.
“We welcome the activation of this trial and thank the Minister for supporting Lake Macquarie as the first local government area in NSW to deploy e-scooters on the back of an already successful e-bike deployment early in the year,” Ms Fraser said.
“It is important to provide accessible and shared modes of transport that not only reduce congestion on our roads but also support our growing community.”
The trial kicks off from December 5.