Impact of Banning a Rideshare E-Scooter Programme on Emergency Department Presentations in Perth: A Natural...

E-scooters have become a popular, low-cost mode of urban transport worldwide, with rideshare programmes increasing public access. However, safety concerns are growing, with many studies describing injury patterns and healthcare burden. This study evaluated the impact of the suspension of rideshare e-scooters on emergency department (ED) presentations and demographic data in Perth, Western Australia.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Royal Perth Hospital Emergency Department (ED). All e-scooter-related presentations were identified through triage records and reviewed via chart audit. Two 12-week observation windows were analysed. The first examined the rates of e-scooter injuries during the 12 weeks before and after 5 June 2024 to establish a baseline injury rate. The second assessed presentations during the 12 weeks before and after the suspension of rideshare e-scooters on 5 June 2025.

Across both study windows, 272 e-scooter presentations occurred. In the 2024 window, there were a total of 128 presentations corresponding to 10.6 presentations per week. During 2025, there were 144 presentations, corresponding to 12 presentations per week. After the suspension of rideshare scooters in 2025, presentations decreased from 105 to 39 (17.5 to 6.5 presentations per day), with an incidence rate ratio of RR 2.69, 95% CI 1.86-3.89, p ≤ 0.001.

The suspension of rideshare e-scooters was associated with a marked reduction in ED presentations. These findings suggest that local regulation can rapidly influence the e-scooter injury burden and highlight the need for ongoing surveillance to inform safe micro-mobility policy.