Electric Skateboarding Laws in Canberra are awesome!

After hearing that Canberra successfully legalised electric skateboarding and electric personal transport, we went on a road trip to enjoy free riding in the capital and to meet the local eSkate group.

From 20 December 2019, the framework in Canberra, ACT for personal mobility devices was amended to include e-scooters and other similar devices and these are the main rules:

1. You must slow down to 10km/h when approaching and travelling across a crossing;
   
   
2. You must not travel at a speed faster than 15km/h when travelling on a footpath; and
   
   
3. You must not travel at a speed faster than 25km/h when travelling on shared paths, bicycle side of separated paths and bicycle paths.
   
   
4. A person on a PMD may only use the road if there is no footpath, shared path or nature strip next to the road or it is impracticable to travel on one of those areas. If a person on a PMD is required to use the road, they must cross the road by the shortest, safest route and not stay on the road for longer than necessary.
   
   
5. You must wear a helmet and have a suitable bell to warn pedestrians.

In Canberra these rules are great because it has so many bike paths going all over the city. You can get pretty much anywhere by bike path so it feels very safe, away from the cars travelling at speed. 

Most pedestrians are now accustomed to seeing electric scooters and electric skateboards and are courteous to other path users.

The eSkate riders we spoke to in Canberra are pretty happy with the rules and can't understand why electric skateboarding not legal in NSW yet. We're thinking that perhaps the NSW Government needs more time to consider how the Canberra laws would fit in a city with a bicycle path network that is still in development.

For now, Canberra is proving itself to be a holiday destination for cyclists, skateboarders and electric riders that want freedom. It's an amazing new way to explore the nations capital city and see so much more.

For more information, check out this video on the finer details and enjoy!