Andrew Constance eWashing Transport in NSW — please change your eMood on eScooters and eBikes!
By Stephen Coulter, Founder of Zipidi and Innovation Leader in Micromobility
Have you noticed a trend in Minister Constance’s recent posts — rarely a post goes by without the word electric preceding a mode of transport — trains, buses, ferries, cars, EVs!
The only words missing are scooters and bikes!
We ask Mr Constance for one last mood swing to make eScooters legal in NSW for the tens of thousands already riding them — and to recognise eBikes and eScooters as the electric vehicles of most impact for NSW in the short to medium term.
Cars are not the only EVs Minister. Electric bikes and electric scooters outnumber electric cars many times. Based on NZ data, eBikes and eScooters outsell electric cars 7.5 to 1! They remove cars from roads and solve traffic issues on which electric cars have no impact.
Cars make traffic worse and incentivising electric cars, albeit environmentally better, will make traffic even worse…
There are over 2 million journeys of less than 2km in Sydney every weekday! Probably much more under COVID. Electric scooters, bike sand cargo bikes could replace nearly all of these with sensible regulation. Reducing traffic and emissions significantly.
In COVID times, eBikes and eScooters are safer than public transport and better for the environment than cars.
Many cities and countries around the world are actively encouraging electric scooters and bikes through rebates and tax incentives. An NSW rebate of 25% up to $1,000, as proposed by Transport expert Dr Elliot Fishman of the Institute for Sensible Transport, is small change compared to the $7,000 offer to electric car buyers which encourages continued traffic.
Mr Constance, it’s not good enough for your personal bias to override common sense, facts and recommendations from your own department, the NSW Productivity Commission /Department of Treasury and Australia's National Transport Commission(NTC). Ironically you approved the NTC’s model laws for electric scooters and personal mobility devices, but will not enact them in NSW!
It’s time for an eMood change on eScooters, Minister Constance.
Recent LinkedIn ePosts by Andrew Constance….
22 June
New South Wales will soon be the best place to buy and drive an electric vehicle in Australia.
Today’s #NSWBudget includes the launch of our government’s nation-leading Electric Vehicle Strategy 🔌🚘 with almost half a billion dollar investment in tax cuts and incentives to drive the uptake of EVs.
21 June
Pleased to see that 10 new electric buses have arrived safely at the Transit Systems Inner West Depot at Leichhardt, and have swiftly and seamlessly been going into service.
15 June
In today’s The Sydney Morning Herald, I’ve outlined my vision for the entire NSW transport fleet to be electric — beginning with the train network being powered by 100% clean, renewable energy by the end of 2025.
14 June
The NSW Government is charging 🔌 ahead with our plan to convert the entire bus fleet to electric by 2030 — with the first NSW-made electric buses to enter service later this year.
9 June
Australia should be looking at every possible avenue when it comes to incentivising electric vehicles.
We shouldn’t just think of this as something that happens in Norway or other foreign countries. We can make it happen right here, right now, at home.
👇 My op-ed in today’s Guardian.
8 June
An important initiative towards achieving a cleaner, greener & healthier future for NSW 👇
Today Geoff Lee and I announced the introduction of new specialised TAFE NSW courses to help retrain mechanics for the introduction of electric buses in Australia.
22 May
Say hello to NSW’s first electric ferry!
Very exciting to take a ride this morning aboard the state’s first zero-emissions ferry, built right here in Australia.
