E-scooters a perfect fit for city

TODAY the newly elected Townsville City Council will sit for its second official meeting.

On the agenda are a number of issues but one that has the potential to create some interest is the debate on e-scooters.

E-scooters are nothing new down south, in Brisbane Lime scooters hit the streets in 2018.

The motorised version of kids scooters, seen on The Strand every weekend, allow commuters to get around the city without the need for a car, bus or Uber.

They are quick, travelling at speeds up 30km/h, and have a range of about 30km but most of all they are a cheap form of transport.

After the initial $1 investment, riders are charged 38 cents a minute.

The scooters can be left anywhere on the street and people find them by a GPS on the special scooter app downloaded on a smart phone.

Despite the ease of use, there has been some trouble.

Emergency wards have been hit with an influx of accidents when people use the scooters the wrong way and crash.

It got that bad that Brisbane City Council called for the State Government to crack down on users who flout the law.

Lime, the company that owns the scooters, was also put on notice and was asked to prove the scooters were safe.

So will the scooters work in Townsville? It’s hard to see why not.

Townsville, the CBD including The Strand and even further out to Pallarenda have a great network of safe paths the scooters could be used on – although a trip up Castle Hill might be above the power limits of the scooter.

They would be a boost for tourism, giving visitors to our wonderful city another way to get around and explore the town.

Mayor Jenny Hill says there is an appetite for scooters in Townsville.

She’s right. Coming out of a COVID-19 lockdown council needs to do everything in its power to draw people and business to the region.