Council says e-scooter parking spaces will help clean up the city streets

The council is making good on its promise to control e-scooter use in Launceston, with a number of devoted parking bays set to be put in within the coming weeks.

The Metropolis of Launceston council will set up 38 bays for rental e-scooters all through the CBD and surrounds, to stop them cluttering footpaths and posing a hazard to pedestrians.

Mayor Matthew Garwood stated riders would solely have the ability to finish their journeys into town on the parking bays, and the transfer would result in accountable scooter use.

“Once the bays are installed, rental e-scooter riders in Launceston will only be able to end a hire trip and stop the hire fee from continuing to tick over, by parking in a designated bay,” Cr Garwood stated.

“The majority of locations formalise existing rental e-scooter deployment locations, while others have been selected as areas where e-scooters are highly utilised.

“This can make sure that parking a rental e-scooter responsibly in Launceston is convenient, easy and protected, and also will cut back situations of e-scooters being parked inconsiderately or simply left mendacity about on footpaths or in entrance of companies.”

The parking bays were recommended in a report on e-scooter use, prepared for the council after a trial that ran from 2021-2022.

The 38 bays will be installed across an area bounded by William Street, Lawrence Street, Frederick Street and Margaret Street, as the report found 45 per cent of rental e-scooter trips ended there.

The next most popular destinations were in the Invermay area, including Riverbend Park, UTAS and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.

The scooters are not universally popular, as 512 Kings Meadows residents petitioned the council in 2022 against allowing them in the suburb.

A poll by The Examiner in June 2023 found 521 out of 534 readers did not think Beam scooters were good for Launceston.

What do you think? Have your say by sending a Letter to the Editor.

Journalist at The Examiner, overlaying emergency companies, council information and courtroom. Ship tricks to joe.colbr[email protected]. Ex-Jimboomba Occasions, UQ Alumni