Lime scooter ban suggested during famed Auckland Christmas lights display

Monday, 12 November 2018

About 150,000 Aucklanders visit the Franklin Rd Christmas lights each year. (Video first published in 2018)

A prominent Auckland resident has floated a month-long Lime e-scooter ban on Franklin Rd over fears riders could disrupt the street's famed Christmas lights display.

The scooters have been a topic of controversy in the region, with mayor Phil Goff last month ordering an urgent report on safety issues after councillor Christine Fletcher was almost hit on a zebra crossing.

The display, which celebrated 25 years in 2017, runs from December 1 to December 26 and attracts hundreds of thousands of Aucklanders to the street connecting Ponsonby Rd with Victoria Park.

Art writer and Franklin Rd resident Hamish Keith on Monday tweeted Lime e-scooters 'might be a problem' for the event.

The Franklin Rd Christmas lights have been running for more than 25 years.

* Meet a student who earns $100 per day by charging Lime e-scooters

* Explainer: Where can you ride e-scooters and what are the rules?

Prominent art writer Hamish Keith has suggested Lime Scooters be banned from Franklin Rd during the annual Christmas lights display.

* Auckland mayor orders urgent scooter safety probe after councillor almost hit**

'Lime e-scooters might be a problem for Franklin Road Christmas lights perhaps @AklCouncil could ban them from the Road for the duration 1 to 26 December,' he wrote.

The street became 'very, very crowded' during the event, Keith told Stuff.

'It's very difficult to walk down the street and we just would like people to restrain from trying to ride their scooters down it during the Christmas lights period,' he said.

'We have asked Auckland Transport (AT) over the years to do some sort of traffic management and perhaps close Franklin Rd, except for residents.'

A count completed a few years back estimated about 100,000 people attended the event, Keith said.

'In the last week it's very difficult to even walk down the street, which is great, I mean that's what we want,' he added.

'The street is undergoing [roadworks] transformations that won't be finished until next year and Auckland Transport have been very good about moving out for that period. All the contractors will go.'

A spokeswoman said AT was not considering a Franklin Rd e-scooter ban 'at this stage'.

'We appreciate there are some streets that do get very busy at certain times, and we encourage people to share the spaces with care when there are lots of people walking,' she said.

Keith had not made a formal request to AT to ban the scooters.

'It just occurred to me that we hadn't taken into account the fact that those scooters, if they are trying to navigate the streets, kids may find it a bit difficult,' he said.

Last year 100 of 108 houses on Franklin Rd took part in the display, Keith said.