You might be able to rent shared escooters in Sydney soon

NSW Government and councils are working on trials of shared escooters in Sydney.

It’s illegal to use personal e-scooters in public spaces across New South Wales, so how could shared e-scooters be reasonably introduced across Sydney? That’s the question many Sydneysiders are asking, as the NSW Government and councils are working together to start trials of the shared escooters across Sydney.

E-scooters are increasingly popular across the world, thanks to their sustainability and accessibility appeal. They offer even more flexibility and convenience than the clunkier share bikes too. Transport for NSW is well aware of this and has been enabling local councils to run e-scooter trials since 2022 – they just need to apply to run a trial, declaring selected roads or areas as an ‘Electric Scooter Use Area’. This is the only way to get around the legality issue.

The application process has been historically lengthy and complicated, but NSW Government is removing the red tape to make it easier and faster for councils to activate trials. They have also announced plans to legalise e-scooters entirely, as part of the government’s new e-micromobility action plan.

Ario, which already operates one of the top share bike services in Sydney, is looking to roll out its fleet of cutting-edge e-scooters across Australian cities following a hugely successful trial in Townsville, Queensland, and a successful launch in Christchurch, New Zealand.

So it looks as though shared escooters could arrive in Sydney much sooner than we think.

escooters aren’t the only transport that Sydney’s been slow to uptake

Across the world, more than 9.2 million share bikes are available for short-term rental across almost 2,000 schemes. As people are increasingly health- and eco-conscious, the benefits of cycling – and their convenience in busy cities – has caught on quickly overseas.

But Australia’s up-take is staggeringly stark compared to the likes of China, Europe and North America. It’s surprising for a country that is so notoriously health-focused.

In Sydney specifically, electric bikes have struggled to take off. There have been numerous attempts, including Chinese-owned Ofo, which was the first bike share service to land in Sydney in October 2017; it closed its Australian operations just nine months later. Lime, one of the share bike industry leaders, has also struggled, disappearing from Sydney for a few years before relaunching in late 2020.

Electric bikes might be turning a corner though as they are becoming increasingly present in Sydney, with 4,500 bikes available across the city in May 2024 compared to just 328 bikes in January 2022.

• More than 4.1 million trips have been made on share bikes in the city since 2019.
• There were nearly 2 million rides in the City of Sydney’s area in 2024, data from Ride Report revealed.
• Share bikes also help the night-time economy, with more than 20% of local trips last year taking place between 8pm-midnight.

The state’s first dedicated share bike parking bay

Yesterday, NSW’s first on-street parking bay for share bikes opened in Haymarket, located near Paddy’s Markets on Ultimo Road. More than 19,000 trips started or finished near the new parking bay’s location last year. Accommodating up to 14 bikes, the hope is that the parking bay will help to reduce clutter on streets while supporting an increasingly popular mode of transport.

It is part of a trial which will soon expand to Potts Point, Paddington and Chippendale. Share bike companies will use their applications to encourage riders to park in these dedicated spaces and also deploy bikes at these locations.

These on-street locations build on the 120 dedicated parking zones that share bike companies have already introduced in Circular Quay, Pyrmont, Ultimo, Chippendale and Forest Lodge.

Why are Sydneysiders so against share bikes?

As a convenient mode of transport that is both good for our wellbeing and the planet, it may be surprising that there’s any opposition to the idea. But there are a number of reasons why locals can’t get on board:

2. Bike share schemes are unregulated

Bike sharing services are provided by private companies and there currently aren’t any regulations in the state. A NSW inquiry found e-bikes and e-scooter regulations are in need of urgent reform, with speed limits and rider education among the recommendations.

“We continue to advocate the state government to step in and regulate share bikes across metropolitan Sydney to provide consistency for all councils, which is a key recommendation from the parliamentary inquiry into e-bikes”, says  Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO. “We want to see not only a cap on the number of operators, but also a limit on the number of bikes deployed.”

3. Electric bikes clutter Sydney’s streets

Parking – or abandonment – of share bikes is a huge reason why locals are against widespread use. “Share bikes have the potential to play an important role in our transport mix, but we know the way they’re currently parked can cause clutter and frustration and pose a safety risk for people walking,” Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said.

But the introduction of dedicated parking bays, like the one in Haymarket, is a sure way to help this. In London, for example, the cycling infrastructure has been overhauled in recent years, with dedicated share bike parking bays found across the city.

How can I rent a share bike in Sydney?

There’s no doubt that there’s potential for escooters and bike share schemes to play in important role in Sydney’s future transport landscape. Until escooters are formally introduced, there are three share bike providers that you need to know, all accessible via mobile apps:

Lime: $1 to start your bike, then $0.57 per minute. Or save with LimePass from $6.99.

Ario: $1 to unlock and then $0.49 per minute. Or save with Ario Anytime Pass from $6.55.

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