'I say give it a try': Albury leaders optimistic as e-scooter trial begins

Albury mayor Kylie King and MP Justin Clancy were among the first to try the new modes of transport on Friday, December 15, to mark the start of a 12-month test with Beam and Transport for NSW.

Around 300 scooters have been placed in 50 different parking stations around the city.

"A lot of our community members want to explore new technology and different ways of getting around and being less dependent on cars," Cr King said.

"Unfortunately, Albury is one of the most car-dependent cities in the country.

"Not everyone will be in favour of it and that's OK, but we've already won a couple over today in the trial, not just young people.

"I say give it a try and if it works for Albury, wonderful, if it's doesn't, we've at least given it a go."

The scooters will cost $1 to unlock and operate at rates from 50c per minute for the duration of the ride.

They can be used in a designated trial area including central Albury, South Albury, North Albury and Lavington.

East Albury and Thurgoona were excluded from the trial due to the steeper roads and 80kmh zones around the suburbs as the scooters cannot be ridden outside of 50kmh areas.

The shared e-scooters will be limited to 10kmh on shared paths and 20kmh on bike lanes or roads with a speed limit of 50kmh or less.

Beam NSW regional operations manager Ned Dale said a host of measures had been put in place to ensure riders are safe and don't misuse or dump the scooters.

Scooters ridden outside the designated trial area will be shut down by geofencing and cannot be operated between midnight and 5am to discourage antisocial behaviour.

Mr Dale said to help prevent riding while under the influence, users on Friday and Saturday nights would have to pass a cognitive quiz to unlock the scooter.

A team of seven staff have been employed by Beam to monitor scooter use and ensure they are kept in good order.

"Once a user fails this test, they'll be locked out of the app and won't be able to take the scooter," he said.

"In other areas, police have cracked down on riders doing the wrong thing such as helmet non-compliance and riding whilst under the influence.

"Beam also operates a three-strike policy, so if our staff members or a member of the community sees a rider doing the wrong thing and that's reported to us, we'll be able to work out which rider was on which trip at what time and we'll issue them with a formal of warning, and in some cases ban the riders.

"In other areas where there's maybe a risk of vandalism or bad parking, we can make those areas designated parking zones only. Riders will only be able to end their trip inside a parking spot and not leave it elsewhere.

"To encourage good parking, we have 50 cents to $1, depending on the parking spot, reward for leaving your scooter parked correctly at a designated parking spot."

Riders must be 16 years of age to use an e-scooter and Mr Dale said Beam relied on riders to do the right thing and comply with the rules.

Mr Clancy said it was an exciting opportunity for Albury.

"For many of our community, we're already familiar with this emerging technology and would have seen it in our visits to Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. In that sense, the selection of Albury as a site for a regional trial reflects Albury as a major regional centre.

"I appreciate like any emerging technology, there will be challenges associated with and those who will share their concerns, but for many it will provide a new form of transport and a means to get around our city."