In a move that is sure to delight short distance commuters, the much anticipated 12 month trial of electric scooters will start in Darwin today.
A working committee, including representatives from the Northern Territory Government, NT Police, City of Darwin, Cullen Bay Marina and Darwin Waterfront Corporations and NT Motor Accidents Compensation Commission have approved the trial for Neuron Mobility to operate a fleet of motorised e-scooters across the CBD, Cullen Bay and the Waterfront.
Neuron Mobility, a Singaporean company, runs a fleet of distinctive orange e-scooters that have been purpose-built for sharing with a focus on safety, stability and rider experience. In Australasia they have licences to operate in Brisbane, Adelaide, Auckland and now Darwin.
The Darwin trial will include an initial shipment of 100 scooters, followed by a further 150 in February.
"City of Darwin is delighted to support this 12 month trial," said Acting Lord Mayor George Lambrinidis, "we see this as an opportunity to activate our city by bringing more people to the CBD, Cullen Bay and the Waterfront."
"Electric scooters are a great option for commuters, providing a quick and inexpensive way to move around the city, especially for the 'last kilometre' of travel."
Zachary Wang, CEO of Neuron Mobility said, "We are delighted to have been awarded the exclusive permit by the City of Darwin. We have worked closely with Council to realise their vision to deliver an innovative and safe e-scooter service that integrates into the city's transport system."
"Our purpose-built N3 e-scooters are now available to enjoy, by residents and visitors, right across the city through our easy-to-install app."
The e-scooters will be available from multiple locations and commuters will be able to ride on the many bikeways, shared paths and footpaths across the city.
E-scooters will be geofenced and will not work outside specific areas, nor will riders be allowed to disengage near water. Fully charged e-scooters will be able to travel a distance of 60km at up to 15 km/h. Helmets must be worn at all times and riders must be over 18 years of age.
Using the Neuron App commuters will be able to find available scooters, pay for rides and identify riding zones, go-slow and no-go zones. At the conclusion of a ride e-scooters can be left at parking stations or safely on the side of a pathway. Users will be charged $1 to unlock e-scooters and 38 cents per minute thereafter. There are also daily, weekly and monthly passes available which reduce costs for regular users.
The App, Neuron-E-scooter Sharing can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play for android and iOs users.
For general information go to: darwin.nt.gov.au/escooters
