E-scooter Trial Ballarat: 150 more scooters to arrive as use area expands

The trial, a partnership between Singapore-based e-scooter company Neuron Mobility, the City of Ballarat, and the state government, saw 250 scooters placed around town in December 2021.

The scooters can only travel within certain limits of Ballarat and from Tuesday this area is expanding by 15 square kilometers.

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Lucas will now be included as well as extensions in Delacombe, Ballarat North, Brown Hill and Canadian.

To keep up with the expected uptick in demand, 150 additional scooters will be put on Ballarat streets gradually through the spring months.

At the six month mark, Neuron said users travelled almost 300,000 kilometres in Ballarat and reduced the number of car trips by over 123,000 to date.

In a statement, Ballarat mayor Daniel Moloney said the council was glad to give other options for residents to travel.

"The expansion of the riding is perfectly timed for spring and summer in Ballarat," he said.

"The new area means that more people can visit and support local businesses in the region."

Neuron Mobility Australia head Richard Hannah said in a statement it was important for riders to be aware of their safety when on the scooters.

Neuron runs its own education program to inform residents of the local rules.

READ MORE: Neuron reports 300,000km of trips in first six months

In July, statistics kept by the Department of Transport show there were three hospitalisations related to the e-scooters.

But data released from Grampians Health Ballarat painted a different picture.

The public hospital said there had been "32 e-scooter related presentations" to the Ballarat emergency department in the six months to June 30.

However Grampians Health said its data did not differentiate between rental and privately-owned electric scooters.

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