Enabling safe, electrified transport options is the focus of a NSW inquiry that begins public hearings on Tuesday.
Officials from a string of Sydney councils are due to appear before the parliamentary probe following trials of various shared e-mobility schemes around the state.
Their appearances come a day after a proposed legal overhaul of NSW rules for e-scooters, which are widely available to purchase but illegal to operate in public spaces - a regulation widely ignored.
In submissions to the inquiry, council officials said there was community support for better public transport and fewer cars, but concerns were raised about people riding and leaving scooters and bikes on footpaths.
Northern beaches residents were car-dependent and often objected to developments over concerns about being able to find a park at the beach, an issue that shared mobility services had the potential to address, the council said.
Sutherland officials said they received a large number of complaints, but the council supported improved and enforced laws around e-bikes rather than a ban.
It is often unclear where to park e-scooters at the end of a trip, Guide Dogs NSW says. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)
Representatives from e-scooter and bike-hire platform Lime are also scheduled to appear after calling for the state's transport agency to lead the selection of operators and the construction of bike and parking infrastructure.
That job was too big for local councils to handle, the company submitted.
Vision Australia and Guide Dogs NSW said the use of shared e-bike and -scooter schemes posed dangers due to low compliance and enforcement of guidelines around their use.
"Despite these rules ... shared e-scooters are used on footpaths and they are often dumped or parked in such a way that impedes safe pedestrian travel," Guide Dogs said in its submission.
It was often unclear where to park devices at the end of a trip and the number of devices being dumped where they posed a safety risk, was unacceptable when charity staff hired an e-scooter in Canberra, the organisation said.
Vision Australia recommended a requirement for any shared mobility devices to be fitted with technology allowing them to be moved remotely when parked outside designated areas.
9°C