Wollongong City Council has approved a submission to the state government's proposed guidelines for e-micromobility sharing schemes, expressing concerns about the potential for footpath clutter and the cost of a new e-bike scheme alongside the existing e-scooter trial. The submission was approved at Monday night's council meeting.
The council's business papers noted that introducing an e-bike scheme would require additional funding and resourcing not currently budgeted, and could create operator conflicts within parking zones. Each trip under the proposed scheme would incur an 80-cent levy, with Transport for NSW receiving 60 cents and the council only 20 cents. Councillor Jess Whittaker described this split as "pretty outrageous and disgraceful."
Lord Mayor Tania Brown expressed worries about "footpath clutter," noting that the city already has about 250 e-scooters, with usage dropping off. She said the scooters are now often knocked over when stacked and are used more by visitors than residents. Councillor David Brown suggested designated parking bays could be set up instead of allowing bikes to be left on streets.
Councillor Ryan Morris supported designated parking areas and a tap-on, tap-off system, comparing it to shopping centre trolleys. He said this would reduce the negativity of seeing bikes dumped in canals or elsewhere. Councillor Dan Hayes proposed significant fines for users who leave bikes anywhere, and suggested Transport for NSW should make room at train stations for bike parking rather than leaving it to the council.
