E-scooters will disappear from the Sunshine Coast at the end of this month.
Sunshine Coast Council Group Executive for Customer and Planning Services Shanagh Jacobs said Council had decided to end the trial on September 30 and reassess the Sunshine Coast’s readiness for e-transport hire offerings in 2026.
Ms Jacobs said e-scooters had been trialled in the Mooloolaba and Maroochydore area from May 2023 and the findings of a review of the trail were considered at the latest Council meeting.
She said Neuron Mobility had been awarded an 18-month trial permit to provide Council with the opportunity to assess:
- If e-transport was a good fit for the Sunshine Coast region.
- Community feedback, concerns and impacts related to e-transport hire.
- If the community would embrace this mode of transport as an alternative for getting around Maroochydore and Mooloolaba.
Ms Jacobs said Council’s team found the trial was undertaken in accordance with the Local Law permit and agreed service levels.
“A report presented to councilors at the August 2024 Ordinary Meeting highlighted a number of areas identified from the community survey that led to a recommendation not to continue the trial,’’ Ms Jacobs said.
She said areas of concern regarding the e-transport hire trial included:
- Style of usage of the e-mobility devices not meeting expectations.
- Community feedback and sentiment towards e-scooters – both private and hired – attracting a mixed response.
- General community concerns relating to regulation, usage, and rider behaviour with safety being a primary area of concern.
- Impacts to amenity within the community.
Ms Jacobs said council would continue advocacy and engagement with the State Government to improve the safety of e-mobility devices and their use.
She said council would also monitor the impacts of the increased use and popularity of e-mobility on the Sunshine Coast as part of the development of the Transport Network Safety Plan and the Transport Asset Management Plan.
“This will include pedestrian safety and use of engineering controls such as prohibited areas and speed limits.”
