Decision details

The original motion was moved by Councillor Jarrett, seconded by Councillor Chan.

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         the NSW Government has announced a trial set to begin in July, for councils to trial electric scooters (e-scooters) as an alternative means of active, affordable, and sustainable transport to increase the liveability of our City;

(ii)        the NSW Government has sent out an expression of interest (EOI) to all councils in New South Wales inviting them to participate in the trial;

(iii)      to date, the City of Sydney has not responded formally to the expression of interest indicating its intention whether to participate in the trial or not; and

(iv)      the City of Sydney formally adopted the position on 9 September 2019 that “if a trial framework was introduced by the NSW Government for a shared e-scooter scheme, the City would support participating in a trial if the City’s requirements were accommodated within the operating conditions”;

(v)       at that time, the City’s position on a trial also stated that there are likely to be significant safety issues in the City compared to other locations, which still remains a concern when considering whether to take part in a trial due to start in July 2022;

(vi)      as our cycleway network is more fully delivered, the options for a safer trial on bike-paths become greater, but at the moment, most trips would not qualify due to fragmentation of the cycleway network; and

(vii)     that the NSW Government is not providing any funding to assist councils develop and manage trials; and

(B)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         monitor progress of the e-scooter trials in other locations over the next 12-18 months and report back to Councillors via the CEO Update on observations and any suggested changes to Council’s position to participate in the trial as a result; and

(ii)        advocate to Transport for New South Wales to provide financial assistance to councils to encourage them to develop and manage the e-scooter trial and ensure its long-term success.

The amended motion was carried on the following show of hands –

Ayes (7)          The Chair (the Lord Mayor), Councillors Chan, Davis, Ellsmore, Kok, Scott and Scully

Noes (3)          Councillors Gannon, Jarrett and Weldon.

Amended motion carried.

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