RIP e-scooters, it’s true. We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but it looks like the era of e-scooter rentals is over. Melbourne City Council has suddenly voted to ban them from the CBD and by the end of this year they’ll be gone completely.

It’s a ban that came out of the blue – e-scooter companies have apparently been working with the City of Melbourne to come up with new ways to make the service safer, and the new measures are intended to make Melbourne’s e-scooter system the most regulated in the world. Private e-scooters were only made permanent in Victoria last month.

However, Melbourne’s new mayor, Nicholas Reece, has changed his mind and decided to ban such services. At a city council meeting on August 13, a motion was put forward to cut current ties with e-scooter companies such as Neuron and Lime. The motion was passed by a majority vote.

There are several reasons for the ban, including concerns about pedestrian and cyclist safety. CBD residents have complained en masse about e-scooter users endangering others by riding on sidewalks in high-traffic areas. In addition, thousands of cyclists have been caught by police not wearing helmets and driving under the influence of alcohol.

E-scooter hire was introduced to our city in 2022 as part of a two-year trial, with current deals due to expire in six months – but the problems caused by e-scooters were so bad the ban couldn’t wait. Now companies will have just weeks to remove hundreds of e-scooters from the CBD.

It’s not all bad news for keen e-scooter users. At this stage, Melbourne residents will still be able to use them in the City of Yarra and City of Port Phillip municipalities, which include suburbs to the north and south.

Melbourne residents can’t seem to get their act together when it comes to bike hire – remember the old oBike drama? That’s why we can’t have the cool stuff.

Stay informed: sign up to our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best news about the city, delivered straight to your inbox.

RECOMMENDED: