One in seven embrace the e-scooter craze in Christchurch

Wednesday, 12 December 2018

E-scooter company Lime launched in New Zealand with hundreds of scooters scattered across Auckland and Christchurch. (Video first published in October 2018)

One in seven Christchurch residents have embraced the e-scooter craze, taking more than 200,000 trips in almost two months.

More than 60,000 people in Christchurch have taken at least one ride on a Lime scooter since 400 were launched in the city on October 15. There are now 700 Lime scooters in Christchurch and up to 1000 in Auckland.

The popular and controversial e-scooters have permission from Christchurch City Council to stay on city streets until at least the end of February as part of a trial programme. A decision would be made early next year whether to grant a more permanent permit.

Lime scooters should be renamed 'smile scooters', says Christchurch city councillor Anne Galloway, because people riding them are always smiling.

During an update on the trial at council's Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee meeting on Wednesday, council transport policy planner Nick Lovett said the median distance travelled was 1 kilometre and the median trip time was nine minutes.

**READ MORE:

ACC has received 285 e-scooter injury-related claims between October 14 to November 25 - 171 in Auckland, 102 in Christchurch and 12 for the rest of the country.

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More than 60,000 people in Christchurch have taken at least one ride on a Lime scooter since they were launched in the city on October 15.

*](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/108421080/one-in-10-have-taken-a-ride-on-christchurchs-new-transport-craze) If you're only going 10 kmh, are you better off walking?

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'One in seven residents have had at least one go,' he said.

Complaints to the council's call centre about the scooters had peaked at about six a day soon after they were launched, but had now reduced to less than an average of one a day.

The vast number of complaints (68 per cent) were about rider behaviour, including people not wearing helmets, two people riding them at the same time and excessive speed.

About 12 per cent of complaints were from people upset a scooter had been placed on their berm or were blocking the footpath.

People were also concerned at the scooters being ridden through the Botanic Gardens,

City councillor Sara Templeton said there was no rule against using e-scooters in the gardens.

Cr Aaron Keown said there appeared to be a bit of 'user jealously' around because a lot of the negative comments were coming from people not using them.

Keown, who is also a Canterbury District Health Board member, said there had not been an influx of people coming through accident and emergency with scooter injuries.

ACC spokesman James Funnell said from October 14 to November 25, there had been 285 e-scooter injury-related claims – 171 in Auckland, 102 in Christchurch and 12 for the rest of the country.

Committee chairwoman Pauline Cotter said the central city was coming alive and the scooters had helped kick that off.

Cr Anne Galloway said the Lime scooters should be renamed 'smile scooters', because everyone on them had smiles on their faces.

The council has formed a reference group to 'interrogate' the performance and impacts of the scooter pilot. The group, which has met once, includes council staff, NZ Transport Agency, Environment Canterbury, Canterbury District Health Board, police, inner city residents, Age Concern, the Blind Foundation and members of the Youth Council.