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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