Hobart City Council replaces e-scooters with e-bikes due to safety concerns
Consensus Summary
Hobart City Council announced it will phase out shared e-scooters and replace them with e-bikes due to persistent safety and behavioral concerns, including inappropriate parking and collisions. Both sources confirm the decision follows a 15-month period with 13,300 monthly trips and 16,600 km traveled, proving strong community interest in low-emission transport. The council cited regulatory challenges and a shift toward e-bikes, which are seen as more predictable and compliant for longer trips. A University of Melbourne study highlighted 37 e-scooter deaths nationally since 2020, with a third involving children, reinforcing the safety rationale. The program, launched in 2021, has successfully reduced car trips and emissions, but the council now seeks smaller, more compact e-bikes through a tender process.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Hobart City Council will transition from a shared micromobility program with e-scooters to an e-bike-only model starting a tender process for smaller, more compact e-bikes
- The decision follows ongoing regulatory, safety, and behavioral concerns with e-scooters, including inappropriate parking on footpaths
- Between December 2024 and February 2026, the shared micromobility program recorded an average of 13,300 trips per month, covering about 16,600 km
- E-scooters were permitted on footpaths, shared paths, bike paths, and roads with speed limits under 50 km/h, with riders required to be over 16 and wear helmets
- A University of Melbourne study found 37 e-scooter deaths in Australia from 2020–2025, a third involving children
- The shared micromobility program was introduced in Hobart and Launceston in 2021 under the local councils' initiative
- Council usage data shows the program reduced short car trips and delivered measurable emissions savings
- The decision aligns with broader national and international trends favoring e-bike-focused shared schemes for safety and suitability
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- A 14-year-old girl was seriously injured in a December 2025 e-scooter collision with a car in Risdon Vale, Hobart.
- A 15-year-old boy died after an e-bike crash into a pole in Devonport on New Year’s Eve 2025–2026.
- Transport committee chair Councillor Ryan Posselt stated e-bikes would improve safety and integrate better with cycling infrastructure, supporting active transport and public health benefits.
- Acting Hobart Lord Mayor Dr Zelinda Sherlock emphasized the program’s success in reducing emissions and car trips despite scooter issues.
- The ABC article includes a quote from Ebony ten Broeke, though no direct quote is provided in the text.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Article 1 (NEWSCOMAU) states the 15-year-old fatality involved an e-bike, while Article 2 (ABC) does not specify the mode in the fatal incident.
Source Articles
E-scooters scrapped in one Aussie capital
An Australian capital city has taken the astonishing move by pulling e-scooters from the streets after mounting safety and behavioural concerns.
Hobart to ditch hire e-scooters and bring in 'safer' e-bikes instead
The City of Hobart said e-bikes were a safer alternative to the e-scooters, which have continued to draw safety concerns from residents and visitors.