About the trial
Our 12-month trial of e-scooters will begin on 15 December 2023. AlburyCity has elected to take part in a Transport for NSW initiative to explore how best to introduce micro-mobility transport options to NSW in a safe and effective manner.
Council selected e-scooter company Beam to provide up to 300 scooters for the trial, which will include geofencing technology that can control where e-scooters are ridden and how fast they can travel, as well as ensuring that they are parked in appropriate parking areas. View the map below, which outlines the boundaries Council has nominated for the trial area.
The shared e-scooters will be limited to 10km/h on shared paths and 20km/h on bike lanes or roads which have a speed limit of 50km/h or less.
E-scooters will not be permitted on footpaths and can only be ridden by riders 16 years or older.
Update - 14 June 2024
The section of the Bungambrawatha Trail between Ryan Rd and North St has been added to the trial area (see diagram below). As this section of path is a crucial active transport link between the Albury and Lavington CBDs, we have been working with Transport for NSW to extend the approved trial area to include this section of shared path.
Trial area map
Updated 14 June 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
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How is the trial being managed? keyboard_arrow_right
A Local Working Group has been set up by AlburyCity to help Council manage the trial and address any potential or emerging issues.
Meeting once a month, this Local Working Group’s members include:
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Are ratepayers funding this trial? keyboard_arrow_right
No. This is a Transport for NSW initiative that AlburyCity has nominated to participate in.
E-scooter company Beam is bearing all the operational costs of the trial.
Council is not providing funding to Beam for the trial, nor are we receiving funding from the trial under the current trial agreement.
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Who can ride an e-scooter? keyboard_arrow_right
People 16 years or older can ride an e-scooter within the permitted areas as outlined in the trial map.
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Where can I ride an e-scooter? keyboard_arrow_right
You can ride an e-scooter on 50km/h roads, shared paths and bicycle lanes as shown in the trial map.
E-scooters are not permitted to be ridden on footpaths as this is illegal.
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If I have concerns about the trial, who do I contact? keyboard_arrow_right
Contact Beam if you:
- have concerns about Beam’s product, service, charges or terms of use
- need to report an incident, or a badly parked e-scooter
Phone: 1300 507 676
Email: teamsupportau@ridebeam.com
Website: https://www.ridebeam.com/auFor assistance, people can also visit: https://www.ridebeam.com/help
To report a badly parked Beam (purple) e-scooter, visit: https://www.ridebeam.com/report-a-beamContact AlburyCity if you:
- have concerns about the trial area
- have concerns about Council’s choice of shared e-scooter company (Beam)
Phone: 02 60238 111 (8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)
Email: info@alburycity.nsw.gov.auContact Transport for NSW if you:
- have concerns about any of the trial rules
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What is being evaluated in this trial? keyboard_arrow_right
To evaluate this trial, Transport for NSW is interested in finding out:
- how shared e-scooters can be safely used on our roads, bicycle paths/lanes, and shared paths
- what demand there is for shared e-scooters in the community
- how the community feels about shared e-scooters generally
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What data is being collected? keyboard_arrow_right
To help monitor and evaluate the trial, AlburyCity, Beam, and Transport for NSW are working together to collect:
- Information about any safety incidents involving a shared e-scooter that occur during the trial
- Information about the number of trips, duration of trips, and kilometres travelled weekly by people choosing to use a shared e-scooter
- Information from the Albury community about how they feel the use of shared e-scooters.
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Is personal data being used to evaluate the trial? keyboard_arrow_right
No, data being used to evaluate this trip does not include any personal information of people who chose to use a shared e-scooters.
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How important is safety to the trial? keyboard_arrow_right
The NSW Government has taken the time to consider the safest possible trial, that balances the risks and benefits of shared e-scooters.
As part of this trial, Beam’s shared e-scooters will only be allowed on bicycle paths, shared paths and roads which have a speed limit of 50km/h or less. It is illegal to ride e-scooters on footpaths.
Riders are required to be 16 years old and over, wear an approved bike helmet, and will only be able to travel at 10km/h on shared paths and a maximum speed of 20km/h on a road, bicycle lane or bicycle path.
Riders are also subject to the same drink and drug driving laws as motor vehicle drivers, and if they are caught drink or drug riding, serious penalties apply.
The Albury trial area has also undergone a Road Safety Audit which has helped Council identify and address any safety risks.
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What happens if there is a safety incident during the trial? keyboard_arrow_right
Any safety incident involving a shared e-scooter will be reported to Transport for NSW.
In the event of serious or critical safety incident (such as a crash), NSW Police will be involved.
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What about insurance for riders and third parties? keyboard_arrow_right
Shared e-scooter scheme operators are required to have appropriate insurance cover for their devices. For the trial in Albury, includes cover for riders, including personal accident insurance and third-party insurance; the company also holds significant public liability insurance.
Insurance outcomes are always dependent on the specific incident; more information on Beam’s insurance coverage can be found on their website.
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Why are some suburbs not included in the trial map? keyboard_arrow_right
E-scooters cannot travel on roads with steep gradients and/ or roads with speeds 60km/h or greater. Hence, the trial area is limited to the flatter sections of the city.
For more information on the trial, please visit:
