DESPITE a gung-ho plan by the state government to keep e-scooters tidy, our own Logan City Council seems rather less enthusiastic.
When asked if the council would comply with the e-mobility plan, or whether it would follow the lead of Brisbane City Council, our council dodged the question.
“Logan City Council promotes the safe and responsible use of e-scooters and supports all measures that minimise any unnecessary impacts on the community,” the statement, asking to be attributed to a spokesperson, said.
No comment about how our council would keep e-scooters neat and tidy.
No comment about our commitment to the state government’s latest plan.
No comment about whether we’d see dedicated parking areas for e-scooters.
The state’s e-mobility parking includes all councils and was formulated by an e-mobility parking working group which includes representatives of some councils.
The plan aims to improve the parking of e-scooters and other e-mobility devices, such as e-bikes, to ensure they are not left in a way which blocks paths and, creates safety and amenity issues for other path users.
Some people have been critical of Logan’s trials, saying the scooters are dumped on pathways and in bushes.
Transport minister Mark Bailey said it was time to clean up our paths to create a more inclusive and accessible environment.
“E-scooters are a great way to get around, but too often I see them left in locations blocking paths which creates significant problems for people walking – especially those with limited mobility,” Mr Bailey said.
“I have had to move badly parked e-scooters out of the way on several occasions, which some people cannot do like people who use wheelchairs and those with vision impairments.
“For them, it’s more than a minor inconvenience. It can mean adding significant time to a trip to detour around a misplaced e-scooter.”
Mr Bailey said there would be improved communication of expectations and further education opportunities.
Initiatives within the plan include:
- The expansion of designated e-mobility parking areas, like those popping up around the inner city
- Supporting better reporting of poor parking, especially to e-scooter providers
- Investigating regulation, including potential fines for those who improperly park a hire e-scooter
- Improved communication and education
Mr Bailey said some localised e-mobility parking trials were already underway.
“Lessons learned from these trials will be critical to informing future standardisation of parking infrastructure. I encourage all local councils to continue to roll out dedicated e-mobility parking trials to help users understand where to park their devices,” he said.
“It’s great to see some work underway already, but more must be done. The release of the Parking Plan signals a clear intent to roll out dedicated parking spaces for e-scooters and e-bikes as a priority.”
Longer-term actions under the Parking Plan include investigating standardised reporting mechanisms for poor parking as well as investigating whether there is a role for stricter regulation and road rules.
“I look forward to working with local councils and shared e-mobility providers over the next couple of years as we collectively aim to improve e-scooter parking in Queensland,” Mr Bailey said.
