E-scooters, except for certain low-power, low-speed scooters, are illegal in public spaces, including roads and footpaths. Currently privately owned e-scooters may only legally be ridden on private property in Victoria.

The Victorian Government is conducting its own trial to test these devices on our transport network and see how, and if, they can be safely incorporated. It is recognised by the Government the potential benefits to allowing higher-power e-scooters on the transport network are:

• connecting the community to public transport hubs
• providing an alternative to short car trips and
• reducing carbon emissions.

Jurisdictions worldwide are working to understand how best to regulate e-scooters, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Rules for e-scooter trial riders include:

• can only ride commercial hire e-scooters by approved operators
• private e-scooter use will continue to be prohibited on public roads and road-related areas
• can only ride in participating council areas
• can only ride on bicycle lanes, shared paths, and lower speed roads (up to 50km/h)
• riders are not permitted on roads with a speed limit of 60km/h or higher, even if there is a protected bike lane
• must not ride on footpaths
• will be automatically speed limited to 20km/h
• must be at least 18 years old
• must wear a helmet
• must not ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• must not use a mobile device while riding
• must not carry passengers.

Find out more about the trial rules on the VicRoads website.

As part of the Victorian e-scooter trial, e-scooter operators are required to have Public Liability coverage of at least $20 million and provide personal injury insurance to riders.

Both operators participating in the trial also provide third party insurance to riders, which provides protection for accidental injuries or property damage to a third party (like a pedestrian or car owner) that a rider might cause during their ride.

Riders must be riding legally and following the road rules and the operator’s conditions for the insurance to apply.

TAC coverage applies if an incident involves a motor vehicle (regardless of who is at fault) but doesn’t apply if there is no motor vehicle involvement (generally). Personal injury and third-party insurance provided by the operators will apply in most cases where TAC insurance doesn’t apply, provided the rider is riding legally and following the road rules and the operator’s conditions.

E-scooters used in the trial are fitted with a range of safety features not seen on private e-scooters. The trial operators are supplying helmets and the e-scooters are fitted with GPS and geofencing technology which controls where they can be ridden and parked. Their speeds are automatically adjusted in different areas. The e-scooters cannot leave the boundaries of the e-scooter trial’s riding area and there are slow-zones, no-ride zones, and no-parking zones to improve safety. These zones may be adjusted throughout the trial.

All e-scooters have unique registration plates and every trip is logged which helps identify anyone behaving irresponsibly. Members of the public can report any issues, including pavement riding, and incorrect parking, directly to the operator.

E-scooters being ridden in the trial are speed limited to 20km/h. This means riders cannot speed up to overtake each other if required, so riding single file is an additional safety measure.

In short, no. The Victorian Road Rules set thresholds on the allowable speed and power output of e-scooters.

The current thresholds stipulate that powered scooters with a power output exceeding 200 watts or capable of travelling at speeds greater than 10km/h are illegal to ride on public roads, including footpaths, in Victoria.

Most newer model e-scooters exceed these thresholds and therefore cannot be used on Victorian public roads and footpaths at this time.

Riders of privately-owned high-powered e-scooters on public roads risk a fine of up to $924 for riding an unregistered vehicle (you cannot register an e-scooter as a vehicle as they do not meet the Australian Design Rules for motor vehicles), which Victoria Police are responsible for enforcing and are actively doing so.

To ride e-scooters in the trial, riders must be at least 18 years old. Outside of the trial there is no age limit applicable to wheeled recreational devices (including low-powered scooters).

E-scooter riders do need to follow Victorian road rules and can be penalised for doing the wrong thing. Drink and drug driving restrictions that apply to other motorists apply to e-scooter riders - you will need to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of less than 0.05 and zero for presence of illicit drugs or you will lose your licence and face heavy fines.

More information in regards to road rules for e-scooters is available on the Vicroads website.

E-scooters being ridden in the trial are speed limited to 20km/h. This means riders can’t speed up to overtake if required, so single file is an additional safety measure. In addition, average cycling speeds are often faster than 20km/h, so there is a risk that e-scooters could clog up bikes lanes and prevent faster cyclists from overtaking safely.

You do not need a driver’s licence or learner permit to ride an e-scooter, however if you are caught riding an e-scooter with a blood or breath alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 or above you will:

• face heavy fines
• lose any driver licence or learner permit you hold
• be disqualified from getting a new licence or permit for a period
• need to complete a behaviour change program before getting a new driver licence or learner permit
• only be permitted to drive a motor vehicle which has an alcohol interlock installed for at least 6 months after you get your licence or permit back
• only be permitted to drive a motor vehicle with a zero BAC for at least 3 years.

Infringement penalties, court fines and disqualification periods scale up depending on a range of factors, including the BAC level and the number of drink-driving or drug-driving offences previously committed. Higher minimum disqualification periods and fines apply for combined drink and drug driving offences.

You can find information on penalties and infringements on the VicRoads website.

E-scooters, except for certain low-power, low-speed scooters, are illegal in public spaces, including roads and footpaths. Currently privately owned e-scooters may only legally be ridden on private property in Victoria.

The Victorian Government is conducting its own trial to test these devices on our transport network and see how, and if, they can be safely incorporated. It is recognised by the Government the potential benefits to allowing higher-power e-scooters on the transport network are:

• connecting the community to public transport hubs
• providing an alternative to short car trips and
• reducing carbon emissions.

Jurisdictions worldwide are working to understand how best to regulate e-scooters, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Rules for e-scooter trial riders include:

• can only ride commercial hire e-scooters by approved operators
• private e-scooter use will continue to be prohibited on public roads and road-related areas
• can only ride in participating council areas
• can only ride on bicycle lanes, shared paths, and lower speed roads (up to 50km/h)
• riders are not permitted on roads with a speed limit of 60km/h or higher, even if there is a protected bike lane
• must not ride on footpaths
• will be automatically speed limited to 20km/h
• must be at least 18 years old
• must wear a helmet
• must not ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• must not use a mobile device while riding
• must not carry passengers.

Find out more about the trial rules on the VicRoads website.

As part of the Victorian e-scooter trial, e-scooter operators are required to have Public Liability coverage of at least $20 million and provide personal injury insurance to riders.

Both operators participating in the trial also provide third party insurance to riders, which provides protection for accidental injuries or property damage to a third party (like a pedestrian or car owner) that a rider might cause during their ride.

Riders must be riding legally and following the road rules and the operator’s conditions for the insurance to apply.

TAC coverage applies if an incident involves a motor vehicle (regardless of who is at fault) but doesn’t apply if there is no motor vehicle involvement (generally). Personal injury and third-party insurance provided by the operators will apply in most cases where TAC insurance doesn’t apply, provided the rider is riding legally and following the road rules and the operator’s conditions.

E-scooters used in the trial are fitted with a range of safety features not seen on private e-scooters. The trial operators are supplying helmets and the e-scooters are fitted with GPS and geofencing technology which controls where they can be ridden and parked. Their speeds are automatically adjusted in different areas. The e-scooters cannot leave the boundaries of the e-scooter trial’s riding area and there are slow-zones, no-ride zones, and no-parking zones to improve safety. These zones may be adjusted throughout the trial.

All e-scooters have unique registration plates and every trip is logged which helps identify anyone behaving irresponsibly. Members of the public can report any issues, including pavement riding, and incorrect parking, directly to the operator.

E-scooters being ridden in the trial are speed limited to 20km/h. This means riders cannot speed up to overtake each other if required, so riding single file is an additional safety measure.

In short, no. The Victorian Road Rules set thresholds on the allowable speed and power output of e-scooters.

The current thresholds stipulate that powered scooters with a power output exceeding 200 watts or capable of travelling at speeds greater than 10km/h are illegal to ride on public roads, including footpaths, in Victoria.

Most newer model e-scooters exceed these thresholds and therefore cannot be used on Victorian public roads and footpaths at this time.

Riders of privately-owned high-powered e-scooters on public roads risk a fine of up to $924 for riding an unregistered vehicle (you cannot register an e-scooter as a vehicle as they do not meet the Australian Design Rules for motor vehicles), which Victoria Police are responsible for enforcing and are actively doing so.

To ride e-scooters in the trial, riders must be at least 18 years old. Outside of the trial there is no age limit applicable to wheeled recreational devices (including low-powered scooters).

E-scooter riders do need to follow Victorian road rules and can be penalised for doing the wrong thing. Drink and drug driving restrictions that apply to other motorists apply to e-scooter riders - you will need to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of less than 0.05 and zero for presence of illicit drugs or you will lose your licence and face heavy fines.

More information in regards to road rules for e-scooters is available on the Vicroads website.

E-scooters being ridden in the trial are speed limited to 20km/h. This means riders can’t speed up to overtake if required, so single file is an additional safety measure. In addition, average cycling speeds are often faster than 20km/h, so there is a risk that e-scooters could clog up bikes lanes and prevent faster cyclists from overtaking safely.

You do not need a driver’s licence or learner permit to ride an e-scooter, however if you are caught riding an e-scooter with a blood or breath alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 or above you will:

• face heavy fines
• lose any driver licence or learner permit you hold
• be disqualified from getting a new licence or permit for a period
• need to complete a behaviour change program before getting a new driver licence or learner permit
• only be permitted to drive a motor vehicle which has an alcohol interlock installed for at least 6 months after you get your licence or permit back
• only be permitted to drive a motor vehicle with a zero BAC for at least 3 years.

Infringement penalties, court fines and disqualification periods scale up depending on a range of factors, including the BAC level and the number of drink-driving or drug-driving offences previously committed. Higher minimum disqualification periods and fines apply for combined drink and drug driving offences.

You can find information on penalties and infringements on the VicRoads website.