Neuron Mobility, Australia’s leading e-scooter operator, has been selected to provide e-scooters in Wollongong as part of a 12-month trial with Wollongong City Council. The trial will launch with an initial 300 Neuron e-scooters on Friday September 29.
Wollongong locals and visitors will be able to access shared paths as well as local roads and on road bicycle lanes within the riding area.
The area will cover parts of the city centre as well as North Wollongong, Keiraville and Woonona and extend as far North as Sandon Point. Riders will also be able to access key Wollongong destinations including Wollongong University, WIN Sports and Entertainment Centre, Stuart Park and many of the city’s coastal beaches.
The company’s high visibility ‘safety-orange’ e-scooters are equipped with larger 11.5” wheels and wider footplates. Advanced geofencing technology will control where the e-scooters will be ridden and how fast they can travel in certain areas. Geofenced locations will be clearly marked in the Neuron App.
Neuron has worked with the council to set slow-zones, no-ride zones and no-parking zones to improve safety. When an e-scooter reaches the boundaries of the riding area, or a no-riding zone it will lose power.
We are delighted to have been chosen by Wollongong City Council to provide our e-scooters as part of the trial and thank them for their trust and support. E-scooters are really well suited to Wollongong and they will be a great way for locals as well as tourists to travel in a safe, convenient and environmentally-friendly way.
Jayden Bryant, General Manager Australia and New Zealand at Neuron Mobility
Elsewhere in Australia, e-scooters are significantly reducing congestion and emissions while also helping to boost the local economy. Safety is our top priority, it dictates our e-scooter design and also the way we operate them. Our e-scooters are packed with a range of cutting-edge safety features and we know from experience in other cities that riders really appreciate this.
Neuron’s e-scooters have been purpose-built to a commercial grade specifically for renting and feature an app-controlled helmet lock, 000 emergency button which can tell if someone has a fall and helps them call the emergency services and voice guidance to educate and warn riders of how to ride safely. There is also a ‘Follow My Ride’ feature which allows riders to share their trip with friends and family in real time, for added safety and peace of mind.
Neuron’s e-scooters help reduce car use and congestion, improve air quality, and boost the local economy. A recent report, titled Shared Rides, Shared Wealth, revealed that two thirds of Neuron e-scooter journeys across Australia result in a purchase at a local business.
According to the findings, each Neuron e-scooter contributes $70,000 to local economies per year, with riders spending an average of AUD $65 at local businesses per trip.
New Neuron riders will be required to sign up to a comprehensive list of riding rules before they are allowed to take their first trip. All this information appears regularly in the app, plus there’s voice guidance to remind people of some of the key points, and even stickers on the e-scooters with the main dos and don’ts.
Riders can also visit the company’s education platform ScootSafe Academy, an industry-leading interactive, online riding school with city-specific training content that can help to educate riders.
Riders will be able to unlock and use the e-scooters through Neuron’s user-friendly app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play and set up in a matter of minutes.
Important Riding Rules and Safety Tips for New South Wales:
- E-scooter riders must be 16 years old and above
- E-scooters cannot be ridden on the footpath
- E-scooters can only be ridden on bicycle lanes, shared paths, and roads with a speed limit of 50km/h or less
- E-scooters must be ridden at a maximum of 10km/h on shared paths
- Only one rider allowed per e-scooter, and no tandem riding with children
- Wearing a helmet is mandatory, there is one on every e-scooter
- Maintain a safe distance between riders and pedestrians
- Give way to pedestrians and mobility devices (such as wheelchairs) at all times
- Do not ride under the influence of alcohol or any other substance
- Park responsibly, don’t obstruct access areas
