Several Brisbane busway stations and ferry terminals will soon host e-bikes and e-scooters as part of a trial of ‘first and last mile’ e-mobility solutions, Brisbane City Council announced today.
Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport, Councillor Ryan Murphy said Council was committed to helping more Brisbane residents leave their cars at home and use public transport.
The 12-month trial, in partnership with the Queensland Government, will allow e-bikes and e-scooters to be used in designated areas around Buranda, Greenslopes and Holland Park West busways, as well as ferry terminals in Bulimba and Hawthorne.
“There have been more than 8.4 million trips on shared e-scooters since late 2018 including more than 3 million trips in the past financial year,” Cr Murphy said.
“If residents can use an e-bike or e-scooter to get to the busway or ferry terminal, it will eliminate the need for an unnecessary short car trip, and in turn reduce congestion.
“What might be too far to walk, especially in the heat of a Brisbane summer, can be a quick trip on an e-bike or e-scooter.
“This trial will assess whether Brisbane residents are keen to use sharable e-mobility devices as first and last mile solutions.”
State Transport and Main Roads Minister, Mark Bailey said Queensland has led the way on the introduction of e-scooters in Australia and continues to do so with new e-scooter safety rules kicking in on November 1.
“We’ve also allowed them to be taken on to the SEQ rail network as well as bicycles during peak travel times,” Mr Bailey said.
“We did this because we know e-scooters can fill the gap at the start and end of public transport journeys, and it’s good to see local governments doing further work in this space.
“E-scooters now form a part of our transportation system, and we need to keep working at getting the balance right in terms of their safe use within the public transport system.”
Cr Murphy said the three busways chosen for the trial will all be serviced by the turn-up-and-go, fully electric Brisbane Metro from 2024.
“We want to make it easier for residents to access Brisbane Metro,” he said.
“As part of our plan to better connect residents to public transport hubs, e-mobility providers Beam and Neuron will also be delivering e-bike and e-scooters in Balmoral, Bulimba, Hawthorne, Morningside, Coorparoo and Norman Park.
“This new offering will make it easier for people to connect to Oxford Street at Bulimba and the Wynnum Road Bikeway, as well as our ferry terminals along the Bulimba peninsula.”
Council says it will implement designated parking areas at or near the key locations in the trial zones, while designated ‘no riding’ and ‘no parking’ zones will be enforced, such as on busway platforms and ferry gangways.
The trial comes as Council confirmed the popular Citylink Cycleway in Brisbane’s CBD will remain, providing riders with a dedicated active transport route.
