Electric scooters would be restricted to riders aged over 18 who hold a driver's licence and could only be ridden during the day, under strict conditions proposed by the state government for a possible trial in Sydney.

While electric scooters are currently illegal to use in public spaces in NSW, the government has been running a confidential review to determine how and where the e-scooters could be trialled.

Electric scooters have proved popular in Brisbane and Adelaide. Credit:AAP

Eight Sydney councils are in discussions about hosting the scooters, including the City of Sydney, Inner West, Waverley, Randwick, Northern Beaches and Bayside councils.

But public safety fears have stalled the launch of the Sydney trial, which was first flagged for Manly last summer. Shared e-scooter schemes already operate in Brisbane and Adelaide and many overseas cities, and scooter companies have criticised the strict conditions proposed by the NSW government.