New figures from the ACT’s two shared e-scooter providers reveal that Canberrans are jumping on board electric micro-mobility options, with locals logging more than 4,000 e-scooter trips per day.
The ACT Government published the figures last week, with data up until 1 September 2020, and the average number of e-scooter trips per day come in at 4,035. The average trip distance is just shy of 1-kilometre, with trips taking an average of 8-minutes 20-seconds.
Saturdays are the most popular day of the week for e-scooter use, with Canberrans logging two to three times as many trips on Saturdays than on Mondays. Saturday 21 November also racked up the single-day record for e-scooter rides, with Canberrans making a record 9,325 trips.
“Since the share scheme commenced in September last year, e-scooters have proven an incredibly popular way for Canberrans to make short journeys linking to workplaces, tourist destinations, social activities and public transport,” said Chris Steel, ACT Minister for Transport and City Services.
“About 75% of trips are short ones of between one and two kilometres, suggesting many Canberrans are adding e-scooters to other types of travel for ‘last mile’ mobility.
“This is a great option which can help make it easier and more convenient to choose public transport over a car, for example.
“With a median trip length of just over eight minutes, Canberrans also appear to be using the e-scooters for a good time, not for a long time.”
E-scooter data also shows that use is higher in the second half of the day, beginning to rise in the afternoon and peaking in the evening – highlighting what I imagine we all already knew, that mornings suck.
Early route analysis indicates that there are several popular routes emerging, serving to link inner Canberra suburbs like Turner and O’Connor with Braddon and the city.
“The e-scooters are still a relatively new addition to Canberra’s transport mix, and there’s more we need to understand about where and how they are contributing to helping people get around our city,” said Minister Steel.
As such, the ACT Government will now undertake a 6-month review of the shared e-scooter scheme in an effort to improve safety, regulation, and integration with the state’s existing transport network.
“The review will also consider licensed areas of operation, which is currently limited to Belconnen, the City, Inner North and Inner South, and if and how the scheme should be expanded going forward,” said Steel.
“We know the e-scooters have been a big topic of conversation across Canberra, so the review is being accompanied by a survey which delves into how they are being used and community sentiment towards them now that they are becoming a more familiar sight across Canberra.
“This survey is a great chance for people to have a say on the introduction of the e-scooter scheme in Canberra. I encourage both users and non-users to take part and share their thoughts.”
The e-scooter survey will be run through the ACT Government’s online insights panel. It will also be available from the Transport Canberra website at www.transport.act.gov.au until Friday 23 April 2021.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.