NSW plans to trial electric scooters in select councils with a view to making them legal this year, as it seeks to improve access to active transport options.
E-scooters aren't legal on public streets but are nonetheless popular, and are available for private purchase as well as through digital platforms that allow users to rent shared scooters.
In addition to personal transport they also promote public transport by helping people travel to their local train or bus.
Active Transport Minister Rob Stokes announced plans to trial shared e-scooters from July at the state's first mobility summit on Thursday.
"E-scooters are an affordable, convenient and sustainable method of moving about and it's important we harness that and recognise their increasing popularity around the world in a safe way," Mr Stokes said.
The trial will inform regulatory changes in NSW with a focus on safety of users and those around them.
Scooter sharing services will underpin the trial, but Mr Stokes said the plan was for private scooters to be legally used on the state's streets by the end of the year.
Any regulatory change will be focused on making sure active transport options are sensible and appropriate for NSW.
Councils have been invited to express interest in taking part in the trial.
A similar trial in the Victorian regional town of Ballarat saw more than 40,000 trips in its first month, which Mr Stokes said was evidence the benefits of e-scooters are not limited to dense inner-city areas.
Geo-fencing technology will be used to control speed and limit cluttering where the scooters are parked throughout the trial.
