A new report detailing the outcomes of the state-wide shared e-scooter trial program has revealed crucial insights into demand, safety and community challenges.
Armidale was involved in a 12-month project trial, run by the NSW Government, which began on September 7, 2023 and ended in December 2024.
The Armidale Regional Council trial, the first to allow on-road riding, was driven by a goal to offer new transport options and work toward Zero30 carbon emission goals. Despite a population of under 30,000, it averaged 892 trips per week, which council officials deemed significant.
“The use of e-scooters … provides a cheap and accessible mode of transportation and, importantly, a sustainable one that cuts back on our CO2 emissions,” Mayor Sam Coupland said at the trials’ beginning.
A NSW Shared E-scooter trial program report was published in July 2025 and outlined trial findings and considerations.
Overall, Armidale was one of six shared e-scooter trial sites across NSW. Other sites include Albury, Forster-Tuncurry, Kogarah, Lake Macquarie and Wollongong. Forster and Wollongong are still ongoing.
E-scooter legality varies significantly by state, but they are legal to ride in public in Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory, with varying speed and location restrictions.
E Scooter trials are in progress in NSW; however, it is currently illegal to ride an e-scooter anywhere except for private property.
The trial program was designed to gather data to inform future government policies on e-scooter riding and sharing schemes.
The latest Transport for NSW report, covering trials active between December 2022 and December 2024, highlights a duality in micromobility: it is an enjoyed and convenient mode of transport for riders, but also a persistent source of concern for the wider community regarding safety and amenity.
Overall, the six trials generated 411,000 trips, covering 796,000 kilometres, with a low reported serious incident rate of 1.9 per 100,000 trips.
A “three-strikes” policy was introduced for the city’s e-scooter riders, as part of a new campaign aimed at safe riding.
However, nearly all sites reported high volumes of community complaints about poor parking and illegal riding, leading to significant council work to refine trial details.
Armidale had a total of 47,326 trips, 892 average weekly trips, an average trip length of 1.68 km and an average trip duration of 9.8 minutes.
Armidale was strategically selected, covering the Armidale train station and bus line service zones around the urban centre, with an extension later approved to cover the University of New England.
Importantly, Armidale was the first approved trial site to include on-road riding, facilitated by the fact all local roads had speed limits of 50km/h or lower.
Key findings from the Armidale trial include:
Significant Uptake: Despite the relatively small population of 29,360, the Armidale trial averaged 892 trips per week, which council participants considered significant given the local context.
Seasonal Volatility: The trial provided a clear demonstration of how climate impacts demand. Usage numbers were high over the summer but halved in winter.
Commuter/Leisure Split: While leisure was the most common purpose for men and women, personal activities and commuting were also popular, demonstrating a mix of necessary and recreational use.
Footpath Riding Debate: Council and the operator made representations to Transport for NSW to allow footpath riding, arguing it was a safer option for riders in the regional context and would improve uptake. This request was not approved.
There was also the affordability factor with one in five riders surveyed in Armidale saying they “definitely won’t” use shared e-scooters in the future, citing reasons including safety, poor compliance and the high cost, despite operators introducing cost-effective subscriptions to address the value-for-money concern.
Overall, the report noted that the model relying on Local Working Groups, while effective for managing six pilot sites, may not be sustainable for broader deployment under any future regulatory regime. They recommended that Transport for NSW and local councils increase collaboration to streamline processes, improve incident data collection and enhance community education.
The Shared E-scooter Trial Program has shown that well-run e-scooter sharing schemes have the potential to provide benefits through increasing mode choice and longer-term environmental and well-being benefits.
