Frankston City Council partners Neuron Mobility for e-Scooter Trial
Published on 18 May 2023
Frankston City Council is undertaking a small scale e-scooter trial in partnership with Neuron Mobility.
Mayor Nathan Conroy said the four-month trial will involve 75 e-scooters available for use in specified areas of Frankston’s city centre and foreshore area.
“The trial will provide data and insights about safe e-scooter use in the city centre and the potential economic, environmental and transport benefits for Frankston.
“Each e-scooter will contain geofencing technology to establish slow-zones, no-go zones and to ensure dedicated parking zones as used at the end of each trip.
“E-scooter riders will be directed to a suite of safety and education tools to support safer use, and a ScootSafe event will be held to drive greater awareness of the riding rules,” the Mayor said.
The Frankston pilot follows the State Government’s decision to extend shared e-scooter trials across Victoria and to legalise the use of private e-scooters.
E-scooters can help to reduce car use and congestion, reduce air pollution and boost spending at local businesses, with two thirds of journeys including a local business purchase.
Neuron Mobility Regional Manager, Yusuf Abdulahi, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by the City of Frankston to provide our e-scooters as part of this trial and thank them for their continued trust and support. E-scooters will provide a great way for locals as well as tourists to discover the foreshore and city centre in a convenient and environmentally-friendly way.”
“The vast majority of our Melbourne riders – plus an increasing number of local businesses and venues – have recognised, and are benefiting, from the positive impact e-scooters are making to the economy, with two thirds of trips resulting in a purchase at a local business. We are looking forward to Frankston residents and businesses experiencing the benefits of e-scooters.”
Mr Abdulahi: “Safety is our top priority, it dictates our e-scooter design and also the way we operate them. Our e-scooters are packed with a range of cutting-edge safety and technology to control where our e-scooters are ridden and parked and the speed they can travel in different areas.”
To encourage safety and familiarise residents with the riding rules, Neuron will be running a ScootSafe event on Monday May 22nd between 11am and 2pm at Frankston foreshore.
Riders who visit the ScootSafe events will have the opportunity to take a short safety briefing and will be able to earn rewards such as free credits for future rides. Riders will also be directed to the leading online education platform ScootSafe Academy, where they can complete gamified education modules teaching them how to ride an e-scooter safely.
Frankston will be the first Victorian council outside of Ballarat, City of Melbourne, Port Phillip and Yarra who have been running e-scooter trials for over 12 months, and follows the recent extension of its e bike trial.
Mayor Conroy said the e-scooters and e-bikes give people micro transport choices, adding the trials are part of the Council Plan – to promote healthy, active, clean, green, outdoor living for all ages and abilities.
“If we can all do the right thing, by riding and parking safely, we can perhaps keep a few more cars off the roads, attract more visitors, and keep our lovely City moving.
“The e-scooters and e-bikes offer a safe, convenient way to travel for residents and visitors, connecting people and places more easily and in a more sustainable way than motorised vehicles,” the Mayor said.
They provide the community and visitors with greater access to environmentally-friendly transport options, reducing the reliance on cars for short journeys. As a zero emissions transport initiative, certified by the Carbon Reduction Institute, they also fit perfectly with Frankston City Council’s Zero Emissions strategy.
For more information, please visit www.frankston.vic.gov.au