A survey on e-scooters initiated by Canberra Liberals Leader and MLA for Kurrajong Elizabeth Lee has received over 600 responses from the community, highlighting some safety concerns that could be addressed to make them safer for all Canberrans.

The survey received a diverse range of views with some common themes including near misses with cars and pedestrians as well as a call for lower speed limits at all shopping centres and high pedestrian areas.

Ms Lee said the survey was used to get a good insight from the broader community about what works and what needs to be improved so Canberrans can get the most out of e-scooters.

“I started this survey because Canberrans clearly embraced e-scooters but there was some concern raised about the safety of them; from users to pedestrians and drivers,” said Ms Lee.

“A lot of older Canberrans say they feel unsafe at shopping centres. Not only do they have to worry about trip hazards on uneven pavements, but now they need to look out for speeding e-scooters.

“It is strange that you can scoot through an arcade in Manuka at 25km an hour while you are restricted to 15km an hour around the lake.

“The two brands of e-scooters available for hire in the ACT have different areas geofenced for lower speeds. Ideally both companies should geofence for lower speeds at all shopping centres and high pedestrian areas.

“The idea of further geofencing high pedestrian areas along with further road safety education seems to be the message we have received from those concerned.

“Canberrans also want the distance range of the hire e-scooters increased. You often see small piles of the scooters on the edge of their range in Yarralumla.

“There is no doubt most Canberrans are pro e-scooters and they have been a very popular mode of transport, we just need to ensure absolute safety for those riding the scooters and other members of the public,” Ms Lee concluded.