Hire-and-ride e-scooters
The City of Hobart enables hire-and-ride e-scooter services to operate in the city.
The hire-and-ride e-scooters provide the community with a low cost, active transport option with regulated and insured devices.
Purple, all the way home!
Starting on 15 April 2024 the City of Hobart has a single service provider - Beam Mobility – the provider with the purple e-scooters.
E-scooter ride services will operate under a new, stronger permit arrangement that gives the City better control in regulating hire and ride e-scooters for the community.
Community safety and service improvements include:
- Fines for parking clutter.
- Expansion of designated parking bays in the CBD, Battery Point, and Sandy Bay.
- Continuation of a Three Strike Policy for rider breaches.
- New, seated e-scooter option.
- Beam's AI-powered Pedestrian Shield technology will be rolled out in Hobart mid-2024. Pedestrian Shield will identify whether the scooter is traveling on footpaths, roads or bike lanes, and employ surface-related riding education and enforcement during rider trips.
- Ride Report, a new, publicly available e-scooter dashboard that provides quarterly updates on when and where e-scooters are travelling through our city.
Using hire-and-ride e-scooters
Beam Mobility (purple e-scooters) is currently permitted to provide hire-and-ride services in the City of Hobart.
To locate and use one of their e-scooters, download and sign up to Beam’s apps.
Travel zones
Under Tasmanian road rules e-scooters may be used on most footpaths, shared paths, bike lanes and roads with a speed limit under 50km/h.
Hire-and-ride e-scooters are subject to software-imposed speed limits, age limits, geofencing (see FAQs below), compulsory helmet usage and other safety features.
Travel zones for hired e-scooters are enforced using in-built GPS locators and, in busy areas, must be parked in software-designated bays to reduce footpath clutter.
You can view the zones where the City has put restrictions in place for hire-and-ride e-scooter riders on the Travel Zone Map. Beam includes these zones in its app.
Hire-and-ride e-scooters will generally automatically slow down or stop when entering slow or no-ride zones. However, in some instances, geofencing accuracy can be delayed due to satellite drift. Beam’s new safety technology, DROVER AI and Pedestrian Shield technology with onboard cameras and sensors will be able to provide more accurate geofencing responsiveness and improve community safety outcomes. Beam has committed to upgrading its fleet to 100% DROVER AI by the end of 2024.
When using a hire-and-ride e-scooter you must still keep watch for physical signage and follow directions to either move off the footpath and onto the road or from the road onto the footpath.
Travel zone map
Map legend
- Pink - No scooters or other personal mobility devices on footpath at signed times.
- Green - Preferred parking zones.
- Red - No parking area (outside of parking zones).
- Yellow - Excluded street as signed.
- Brown - Low speed zone.
For more information, click on the relevant zone on the map.
Beam may enforce extra no-go, no-parking, and go-slow areas that are not on this map.
A full-screen map can be viewed here.
Safety and behaviour
You must be 16 years or older and wearing a helmet to ride an e-scooter.
Before jumping on any e-scooter (privately owned or hire-and-ride) you must familiarise yourself with the Tasmanian Road Rules for personal mobility devices.
You must also read and follow Beam’s rules before you start your ride. New riders must complete an online safety tutorial in the app.
The City of Hobart is actively engaged in promoting good rider behaviour and safety.
When using an e-scooter please remember that you share the space with other footpath users and must give way to pedestrians and people using mobility aids.
Hire-and-ride e-scooters are fitted with dangerous rider behaviour detection, which creates app-based rider alerts, fines, suspensions and customer bans to people doing the wrong thing.
To find out more about how to safely ride with others watch our Share the Space videos created with Guide Dogs Tas and VisAbility:
E-scooter videos
The City continues to work with Tasmania Police, the Tasmanian Government, Beam and other stakeholders to keep improving the use and safety features of hire-and-ride e-scooters.
Parking
Some designated parking bays have already been installed and have helped promote orderly parking in CBD areas.
From March to June 2024, more physical parking bays will be installed in high pedestrian areas, a map of these bays will soon be available on our website.
Under the new permit and single operator arrangements, restrictive parking trials will begin in the CBD and Battery Point in 2024.
Restrictive parking
Restrictive parking is designed to promote safe and orderly parking in physically designated bays. Restrictive parking will soon be trialed in Hobart in some high pedestrian areas such as the CBD.
Free floating (park scooter anywhere) parking will continue in the rest of the Hobart local government area, with operators continuing to educate riders to promote and incentivise safe and responsible parking.
So what is restrictive parking and how does it work?
The City will consider the most appropriate and safe places for designated parking bays and welcomes feedback from community members on these.
Riders will be encouraged via incentives and discounts on their next trip to park in these designated bays.
Riders will be fined if they leave e-scooters outside of designated bays.
The City's data provider Ride Report will provide evidence if operators are not collecting e-scooters left outside of designated parking bays within an appropriate timeframe.
The new e-scooter permit enables the City to fine operators, if they are not keeping our streets tidy.
How to report an e-scooter issue
Beam is responsible for all aspects of its operations. Any issues can be reported directly 24 hours a day. Illegal or unsafe use can be reported to Tasmania Police.
The operator is also required to report all community concerns and messages to the City of Hobart monthly.
Beam Mobility (purple)
Report a Beam
Phone – 03 7302 8265
Email – teamsupportau@ridebeam.com
Beam Mobility includes tactile instructions and a QR code on its Hobart e-scooter fleet to assist vision impaired citizens report fallen or mis-parked scooters.
Ride Report e-scooter dashboard
The City has partnered with Ride Report, a global micromobility platform manager, to enhance transparency and provide valuable insights and future transport data for urban planning.
The new public e-scooter dashboard enables everyone to see and use City of Hobart e-scooter data:
Ride Report dashboard
FAQs
What are e-scooters?
E-scooters, or electric scooters, are lightweight electric powered vehicles used in many parts of the world as a 'last mile' commuting transport option, and as a tourism transport option.
They are variously known as Personal Electric Vehicles, micromobility devices or (under most Australian legislation) Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs).
What is geofencing?
Geofencing means the ability to use a GPS locator to control where and at what speed a device can operate by limiting or stopping it if it strays outside defined geographical boundaries.
Who is allowed to operate a hire-and-ride service in the City of Hobart?
Beam Mobility has been selected to be the sole hire-and-ride service in Hobart. As a global micromobility leader Beam was chosen for its innovation, safety and sustainability records.
Beam is responsible for all aspects of managing use of its products in the City of Hobart area. The City monitors their operations to ensure Beam complies with safety and amenity requirements.
What was the outcome of the e-scooter trial?
A trial of hire-and-ride e-scooters were was introduced in the City of Hobart, alongside the City of Launceston, in December 2021.
At the 20 February 2023 Hobart City Council meeting, Elected Members voted to continue hire-and-ride e-scooter services in Hobart, with an ongoing commitment to deliver safety and parking improvements in consultation with the community.
In 2024 Beam was selected as a sole operator for Hobart after a competitive post-trial tender process, supported by a committee led evaluation including internationally experience micromobility consultants.
The sole operator model was selected for Hobart to achieve a number of operational improvements as outlined by NACTO - National Association of City Transportation Officials.
- Reduce e-scooter numbers and unnecessary clutter.
- Provide low-emission infrastructure such as e-cargo bikes to collect and recharge batteries.
- Improve job security and conditions for local employees.
- Access to a wider range of micromobility models, such as e-trikes, e-bike and accessible models.
- Greater leverage for councils to negotiate discounts and passes for low-income earners.
- Improved efficiency with wider public transport integration (first and last mile transport solutions).
- Better technology investment, such as latest e-scooter models and safety features.
- Improved user experience through just one App.
- Reduced City of Hobart administrative time and costs.
Beam will be managed under a new, tighter permit arrangement that will include operator fines for parking clutter, restrictive parking trials, continuation of the Three Strike Policy for rider breaches, new seated e-scooters and Beam's latest AI-powered Pedestrian Shield technology. Pedestrian Shield will identify whether the scooter is travelling on footpaths, roads or bike lanes, and employ surface-related riding education and enforcement during rider trips.
How was the trial evaluated?
Trial Evaluation Report
A Trial Evaluation Report was presented to Council that included key aims, methodologies, evidence sources, data and findings about the 12-month e-scooter trial.
The report outlines the impact of e-scooter technology in Hobart and the role the City of Hobart can play in managing the impact of personal mobility devices such as e-scooters.
It explores various issues including the environmental benefits and reduction in vehicle emissions, access to low-cost electric vehicle options, and the needs of vulnerable members of the public and the broader community.
Data presented within this report include:
- usage data from the device providers
- incident data from the device providers and Tasmania Police
- accident data from Royal Hobart Hospital
- community Survey data.
Trial Evaluation Report(PDF, 3MB)
Trial Evaluation Report (Accessible Version)(DOCX, 12MB)
Community Survey Results (Your Say)
The e-scooter trial survey was an open access, self-selection online survey provided on the City of Hobart Your Say website from the 4 to 24 July 2022. A small number of surveys were also collected from people randomly approached on the street.
The survey received significant engagement with 2048 respondents.
It provided an opportunity for community members, both residents and visitors, to provide feedback on the e-scooter trial, including their use of e-scooters, their reasons for using or not using e-scooters, their views on the continued use of e-scooters and any improvements to the trial and future transport options for Hobart.
The City of Hobart engaged Metropolis Research, a social research firm based in Melbourne, to evaluate the survey findings. Metropolis noted that the survey reflects the views of those sufficiently engaged in issues relating to e-scooters to choose to participate and should be read as a poll of interested community members.
Community Survey Statement of Results(PDF, 310KB)
Community Survey Statement of Results (Accessible Version)(DOCX, 454KB)
Other community feedback
Community feedback was also collected through a number of channels throughout the trial including:
- a customer comment form through the e-scooter webpage
- email submissions
- phone calls
- the City provided a number of opportunities during the trial for members of the disability and ageing community to provide targeted feedback to support changes to trial operations and devices to improve safety for all footpath users.
Every piece of community feedback was read by City Officers and responded to according to the impact on community safety, urgency and relevance to the trial's operations.
A number of lived-experience comments from the public are available to read within the community survey statement of results.
Who was involved in the trial evaluation?
The City of Hobart worked with a range of external agencies to evaluate the impact hire-and-ride e-scooters had on Hobart residents, businesses and other stakeholders.
Council Officers regularly met with Tasmania Police and the Department of State Growth to identify and address safety issues throughout the trial.
Metropolis Research, a social research firm based in Melbourne, was engaged to evaluate the community survey findings.
An external transport consultant was employed to evaluate risk management prior to the trial's commencement, as well as collecting accident comparison data during the trial to inform safety management.
The City of Hobart also worked closely with the City of Launceston throughout the trial and the trial evaluation process to support best practice and community safety.
What is happening with new e-scooter operator permit arrangements?
Final permit arrangements were announced in 2023, following:
- further community consultation and co-design with the disability community
- additional parking amenity and safety mitigation measures
- a global best-practice review and advice from expert consultants
- design of appropriate governance and procurement processes.
Beam was evaluated and selected on criteria such as safety, operator insurance, work health and safety, battery safety certification and latest vehicle technology - as well as its previous experience, trial performance, technical capability, local employment outcomes and overall benefit to the community.
The City of Hobart will implement the new permit arrangements with Beam in the first quarter of 2024. The current licensing arrangement will remain in place until then.
What are you doing to improve cycling infrastructure to make the use of e-scooters and other micromobility devices safer?
Improving inner city bicycle infrastructure was a key request through the e-scooter trial survey from both the disability and wider community. There are a number of plans which will support the introduction and funding of new and improved cycling infrastructure.
The City of Hobart is part of the recently developed Greater Hobart Cycling Plan which will guide the joint planning and investment of Greater Hobart councils and the Tasmanian Government, to form an interconnected network of cycling paths across Greater Hobart.
The plan includes a range of projects within the City of Hobart. The first projects in the priority list includes the Argyle/Campbell Street Bike Lane Project due to commence construction around in 2023.
A range of cycling infrastructure projects are proposed in the Draft Central Hobart.
The State Government is developing a new grant program to fund local government bike infrastructure projects. It is hoped this will open up funding for more active transport infrastructure in the future.
The City will be updating the Transport Strategy and Parking Strategy which will build on the work conducted in the Greater Hobart Commuter Cycling Plan.