E-scooter scheme to kick off from August as applications for operators open soon

A shared electric scooter scheme would likely be run by two operators each to be issued with permits for up to 750 devices.

Roads and Active Travel Minister Chris Steel said e-scooters had been taken off the streets in cities including Brisbane and Adelaide during the pandemic, but he was confident the scheme could be rolled out safely.

"We'll be working with operators during the pandemic to make sure hygiene measures are in place," he said.

"We expect around August when the restrictions are easing we'll be able to see these e-scooters be able to return to the streets around Australia."

Mr Steel hoped Canberrans would choose the new mode of transport over driving their car.

Applications to operate the dockless scheme will be open from July 20 to August 3 with scooters expected to be available for hire from next month.

"In addition to the devices being provided in the inner city areas, e-scooters must be available in at least one other region to test operations in another part of Canberra," Mr Steel said.

"We anticipate that the e-scooters will be popular with tourists, using them to explore Canberra and move between our national and cultural institutions. We have engaged with the NCA and the ANU so that they can regulate e-scooter share schemes on their land in a similar way to the rest of the city."

Mr Steel said it would be up to operators to ensure the scooters didn't block public spaces or clutter streets.

Permits would outline how the e-scooters could be deployed safely, where the could or couldn't be parked and GPS tracking would be used to limit the access of scooters across Canberra.

"The Government will be closely monitoring the safety of the e-scooter share schemes. Operators must demonstrate that they are safe, and the ACT Government reserves the right to act in the public interest to put safety first," Mr Steel said.

E-scooters were legalised in Canberra in December. The can be used on shared paths but are not permitted on roads or on-road bicycle lanes.

They can go up to 15km/h on footpaths and up to 25km/h in other locations.