Page 1885 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 22 June 2021
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E-scooters have inspired many Canberrans to start looking into electric transport technology. Now more than ever Canberrans are interested in buying their own e-scooter or e-bike. Canberrans prioritise the environment and modes of transport that are clean, cheap and efficient. That is why our city embraced cycling and then e-bikes, and now e-scooters into our mix of daily transportation.
E-scooters have also helped boost our economy back into gear, with most e-scooter users making purchases at a shop or hospitality venue shortly before, or shortly after using an e-scooter. The revenue e-scooter users bring to the local economy is another argument for why we should expand the scheme to town centres outside the CBD, like the inner north, inner south and Belconnen.
Currently those who use e-scooters are far more likely to be located in central Canberra than any other part of the city. Overwhelmingly, those who live in other areas of Canberra want the scheme to be expanded to include their area. In every region around Canberra locals support the scheme coming to their area at more than 60 per cent. In my electorate this support is the highest, with 80 per cent of Gungahlin residents supporting the expansion of the scheme. By far the biggest reason for people not participating in the scheme is that they just have not had the opportunity to use it yet. Let’s change that by expanding the scheme to include more of our town centres.
Many Canberrans are using scooters to link them to public transport, like light rail or the bus. Today I am calling on the government to explore ways we can improve these connections and encourage even greater uptake of our public transport system. Creating more parking areas for scooters around our light rail stops and bus stops is just one way that we can improve these public transport connections.
If we incentivise local communities to use e-scooters to connect them to local public transport, we also need to make sure there is adequate parking for the scooters so that users are incentivised to correctly park them in a way that is safe for the rest of the community. Creating more parking areas for scooters close to light rail and bus stops, ensures we are considering the safety or other community members who use the footpaths.
By increasing our e-scooter network, we are increasing access to public transport from the less-connected developing suburbs in Canberra. Bringing scooters to Gungahlin and Mitchell will encourage more local active travel in the surrounding suburbs and provide a boost to the local economy. It will incentivise those that live or work in the surrounding suburbs to take public transport instead of driving. Not only is this better for stimulating the local economy but the greater number of people opting for public transport over driving is good for our environment. E-scooters will reduce congestion as fewer people will drive through our town centres.
When talking about expanding the reach of e-scooters in Canberra, it would be irresponsible not to acknowledge the concerns that some members of the community have. While the absolute majority of users have been safe while they use e-scooters, there is no denying that some injuries have been caused by a lack of e-scooter safety.
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