Australia works on the safety and legalisation of personal mobility devices

In late 2020, Australia’s National Transport Commission (NTC) released a report proposing the inclusion and safety guidelines of personal mobility devices (PMDs), such as electric scooters, electric skateboards, and electric unicycles, for the Australian Road Rules.

In the report, the NTC details the draft policy resolving the challenges of legalising PMDs based on the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement by the NTC last October 2019 as well as comprehensive feedback from stakeholders.

Despite the growing number of PMD riders in the country, the Australian Road Rules have still not recognised and legalised these forms of transportation. In fact, other countries that are also yet to legalise PMDs are the UK, Ireland, and Spain, among many others.

Due to rising public demand for PMDs in Australia, more states and territories in the country have been under pressure to permit these devices. So far, Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory are the only jurisdictions that have legalised PMDs on roads and paths.

According to the report, the NTC took extensive consultation and feedback from the government and stakeholders to understand the safety and regulatory challenges with PMDs. These initiatives included a national workshop, an issues paper, advice from a national working group, and reviewing national and international regulations and research on PMDs.

As a result of these consultations and research, the NTC proposed a framework and requirements for PMDs (e.g. braking, motor type, dimensions, and weight) to make them usable for roads and paths. These requirements also allow the Australian Road Rules to accommodate new forms of PMDs.

The NTC analysed options for infrastructure and speed approaches, including safety risks, access and amenity impacts, compliance challenges, and economic impacts. The NTC found that permitting PMDs with the proposed requirements will balance mobility and safety.

However, the final analysis also acknowledged that it will prove difficult to establish a common approach to legalising PMDs on public roads and paths due to varied infrastructure access and speed approach. Moreover, the approach would also vary at individual state and territory level.

Regardless, the NTC believes that consistency must be achieved in the Australian Road Rules and that this can be attained by adopting the framework for PMDs, infrastructure access, and speed approach per jurisdiction. However, for these regulations to take effect, all Infrastructure and Transport National Cabinet Reform Committee members must agree to the policies.

To support the legalisation of PMDs, the 'Electric Riders Australia', a representative group for PMD riders, launched an online petition addressing the President and Members of the Senate in the Australian Parliament and calling on the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, and Regional Development to support the revision of the Australian Road Rules and legalise PMDs. Manufacturers and brands like Mearth electric scooters have also signed the petition in support of the movement. The petition from Electric Riders Australia aims to collect 6,500 signatures.

If the new policy is approved, PMDs in Australia will positively contribute to the country’s economic activity. In fact, a 2019 study from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta, Georgia found that cities that legalised and encouraged electric scooters saw an addition of US$13.8 million (AUD$18.13 million) in sales from food and beverage businesses alone. Meanwhile, in a November 2019 survey of Washington, DC riders, 72% of riders said they visited mode local businesses and attractions using the shared e-scooter platform Lime. Moreover, 44% of riders said shared e-scooters made it easier to reach their current job and other job opportunities.

According to Kyeongbin Kim, marketing PhD student and the first author of the 2019 study at Goizueta Business School says, “Markets with more favorable policies towards shared e-scooter systems could be giving themselves a potential boost towards economic recovery as e-scooter programs generate additional sales tax revenues and jobs that aren’t otherwise realised in markets that don’t allow shared e-scooters.” Moreover, the country will also experience other benefits from implementing PMDs in public such as greater mobility, reduced pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, lowered traffic congestion, and improved cost savings for residents and better health and fitness benefits.

As demand for PMDs like electric scooters and electric skateboards continues to rise, legislation must also keep up to create a safe space for PMD riders. With the market expected to expand at a 4.9% CAGR from 2021 to 2028, what will the government do to ensure the safety of young PMD riders? PMDs are still an emerging form of transportation, meaning that their design, function, market, and associated benefits and risks will continue to change over time. As the NTC continues to push for these new regulations, Australia will have to wait on the decision from the Infrastructure and Transport National Cabinet Reform Committee to see it pass and be implemented.