Jumping on safety message

HOBART City Council and e-scooter operators have enlisted the help of the JackJumpers to launch a safety campaign as the new transport mode takes off in the CBD.

The ScootSmart video campaign will target several safety concerns raised by the community since the trial started in December, including drink riding, awareness of pedestrians and incorrect parking.

JackJumpers players and mascot Jack the Jumper play a starring role in the series of ads released Friday.

Chief executive Simon Brookhouse said the JackJumpers wanted to use their soaring popularity to highlight important messages.

“Our players are always happy to be involved in community messages that promote safety, in the hope members of the community will listen to these messages and scoot safely around Hobart,” Mr Brookhouse said.

Hobart councillor Bill Harvey said locals would continue to adjust to “an exciting new opportunity” to transform the city’s transport network.

“E-scooters have been able to deliver on a number of strategic citywide drivers, such as reducing innercity traffic congestion, demand on finite CBD parking availability and carbon emission reduction targets,” Mr Harvey said.

Seventy per cent of feedback received about the trial since its start had been positive, he said.

More than 50,000 users have signed up across the two e-scooter platforms, Neuron and Beam.

Neuron regional manager Lachlan McLean said the operator was using “cutting-edge features” to make the scooters as safe as possible.

“While the vast majority of riders are behaving responsibly, we want to take this opportunity to reinforce the rules – it is the responsibility of every rider to do the right thing,” Mr McLean said.

Beam Australia head of operations Ashan Sanjeeva said cognitive tests and other tools to prevent riders drinking before riding were being explored.

“We are working really hard to introduce new technology such as pavement-detection and drink-riding deterrences to further support the efforts to educate the public,” Mr Sanjeeva said.

The campaign comes days after Beam announced it would expand its network into Burnie in June.