Private and rental electric scooters will become a permanent fixture on Melbourne streets as Victoria puts the finishing touches on safety regulations.
E-scooters were allowed in Ballarat from December 2021 and parts of Melbourne from February 2022 as part of a trial, with users since taking more than eight million trips.
The trial will be extended for another six months before permanent regulatory settings are introduced in early October.
The Victorian Labor government said it would use the time to investigate extra safety measures and rollout a refreshed education campaign across trial areas.
"E-scooters are here to stay - they've proven popular among commuters, especially shift workers, providing an additional option to travel home safely," Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said in a statement on Thursday.
"We have more work to do on safety and compliance to ensure that e-scooters are safe when they're made permanent later this year."
In December, the Australian Medical Association called for stricter rules after a study by the Royal Melbourne Hospital showed 247 riders and nine pedestrians were treated for injuries in 2023.
Rules around e-scooters use vary from state to state.
In Victoria, people must wear a helmet, be at least 16 years old, not carry a passenger and cannot be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
E-scooters must not travel at speeds of more than 20km/h and can only be ridden on roads with a maximum speed limit of 60km/h or less or shared paths.
Commercial e-scooter rental companies can only operate in council areas where they have agreements.
The state government is developing a guide for councils on how to manage e-scooter share schemes, including parking management and operator insurance requirements.
