WalkSydney is pleased to make a submission on Barriers to the safe use of innovative vehicles and motorised mobility devices.

Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs), such as electric scooters and electric skateboards, are typically small, portable and designed to carry one person over short to medium distances. These devices are growing in popularity globally as people look for more innovative and efficient ways to move around cities and communities. This shift in transportation preference, known as micro-mobility, is seeing people becoming less dependent on traditional forms of transport, such as cars, buses, trains and trams, in favour of these more individualised modes of transport.

WalkSydney support a diverse range of transport modes for people moving around our community and places.

WalkSydney generally support that personal mobility devices should be considered similar to e-bikes, and are also considered vulnerable on-road in amongst motor traffic.

Currently, we support that personal mobility devices should be allowed where bicycles are allowed.

WalkSydney support the implementation, connection and extension of a comprehensive separated, protected cycling and mobility devices network to support these forms of travel.

However, while shared paths improve conditions for people using bicycles and PMD’s compared to no bike lanes and no shared paths, it is hardly the best that can be done, and does not constitute an improvement for pedestrians compared to a genuine third path.

Therefore, we urge the government to support more effective and specific infrastructure to accommodate the differing speeds of path users, and protect the safety of people walking.

In the meantime, we support a walking speed 8km/hr speed limit on shared paths, as 10km/hr is still considered high risk around people walking.