The company behind a new e-scooter trial in the City of Stirling says the pay-as-you-go initiative is proving enormously popular.

The council is partnering with Neuron Mobility in a twelve-month trial to help residents and visitors explore coastal suburbs in a more safe and sustainable way.

The state-first initiative involves 250 e-scooters which can travel across a 26-square-kilometre area from Watermans Bay to Innaloo.

Neuron Regional Manager Lachlan McLean says e-scooters generally are providing many benefits for the communities in which they operate. 

“It’s inexpensive compared to many other forms of transport and it significantly reduces congestion and emissions,” he says.

“It’s also encouraging more people to get out and support small businesses.

“Seven out of ten trips on average result in a purchase.”

The e-scooters follow a pay-as-you-go system and cost $1 to activate and 45c per minute thereafter. 

They are also GPS-enabled and connected to Neuron’s data system to track their location, preventing riders from straying outside the allocated zones. 

The first six weeks have already shown promising results, generating more than 30 jobs – an increase in e-scooter numbers and a total of 150,000 kilometres travelled.

Mr McLean says people are now using the e-transportation mode in their everyday lives.

“Recently we are seeing an increase in the number of trips starting and ending at Stirling Railway Station and Quest Innaloo,” he says.

“It indicates people are using them as part of their daily commute. 

“They’ve also proven to be a popular choice along Scarborough and Trigg coastline.”

Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner says it’s great to see people using the e-scooters and he expects them to become more popular.

“Now we’ve got some very clear rules and laws around what you can and can’t do on them there is more of a demand,” he says.

“We’re seeing people who want to use them from their homes to catch public transport – those sorts of connections. 

“We’re also going to see a lot more rideshare companies engaging with local governments. 

The Commission is constantly monitoring the trial and reviewing road safety rules to ensure there are no serious incidents.

“From our perspective, just like any other private road user there are people who operate and ride safely and sensitively and there’s those who take risks,” Mr Warner says. 

“We’re monitoring that. My advice is to follow the rules – over time, if this happens, it will promote better road safety.”

Both the Road Safety Commission and Neuron Mobility believe the trial has potential for growth in the City of Stirling.

“We look forward to further adapting our service and seeing what happens in the future,” Mr McLean says.