Lime says it's fixed dangerous brake bug, Auckland Council's stand is 'disappointing'

Monday, 25 February 2019

E-scooter business Lime has called for equal treatment for its would-be rivals after Auckland Council temporarily pulled its scooters from Auckland streets in the wake of a braking fault that had resulted in injuries.

On Friday, the council's chief operating officer Dean Kimpton decided to halt the e-scooter trial in the region due to safety concerns. Kimpton said there had been 155 'irregular braking incidents' reported across the country, 92 of which were in Auckland, resulting in 19 separate injury claims.

Lime initially met with Auckland Council and agreed to terms made public on its website, but on Friday the council changed tack and suspended the trial - forcing the company to return Lime's entire fleet to its Kingsland depot until another review on Monday.

One thousand Lime e-scooters were removed from Auckland streets on Friday after a firmware glitch caused the electronic brakes to unexpectedly switch on.

'While we accept the decision of Auckland Council to proceed the way they have, I must say I am quite disappointed that we have got to this,' Mitchell Price, Lime's director of government affairs and strategy told Stuff.

**READ MORE:

At Lime's Kingsland depot: (L-R) Mitchell Price, Lime director of government affairs, and Anthony Fleo, Lime regional general manager.

* Lime e-scooters are safe but public trust is key

* Lime calls for e-scooter riders' support with app campaign after Auckland Council ban

A Lime technician works on one of the 1000 e-scooters recalled in Auckland.

* Lime admits to e-scooter glitch which locks up wheels at speed

* Lime scooter glitch: Auckland Council's handling of trial attacked amid licence suspension

* Man rides Lime scooter over Harbour Bridge

* Lime wheels locking up could mark the beginning of the end for e-scooters**

'We are a good partner, we have been providing information to the council every step of the way, we agreed to their terms, which included paying for the costs of independent reviewers.'

The independent report takes time to produce, as will the council's independent process to issue that report, he said.

'We've seen individuals go on air and talk 'out of school' around our operations. To hear people talking about how we do our business, and how we haven't been transparent with certain members is quite disappointing.'

Price said Lime discovered the glitch was in the scooter's firmware - firmware is the mechanism that talks to the electronic control unit - which caused the electric brake to come on all of a sudden, often when the scooter was travelling at speed downhill.

Technicians have triple checked every scooter in Auckland, Lime said.

Lime's teams in China, San Francisco and Auckland were able to identify the problem and produce a firmware update for all of its scooters.

'That update has eliminated [the glitch] and will reduce the number of incidents,' said Price.

Lime riders reported serious injuries after the e-scooters' wheels locked up, sending them flying. (file photo)

'What we have seen is a reduction in the number [of incidents] since the update. Here in Auckland there hasn't been any reported injuries since the update was put through.'

The Kiwi branch of the California-based company claims it has 'triple checked' every machine for safety, and ran the firmware update across its entire New Zealand fleet.

The Lime app now brings up a banner asking for support.

To ensure it's on top of any future safety issues, Price said Lime would be rigorously monitoring all of its incoming customer support queries and complaints.

'We've assessed all the accidents and injuries not just related to the electric brake. Some of this comes down to the user behaviour, hitting a rock or curb which puts the scooter off balance, but with the 19 related to this [glitch] we have ensured these checks and balances have been put in place,' said Price.

'We are working with an engineering company to produce an independent report for Auckland Council which would show the firmware issue was found, an update was rolled out and the effectiveness of that update.'

However, Price insists lawyers should appoint the third party reviewers, not Auckland Council, as sensitive commercial information would be revealed during the process.

'We want to be sure we have the trust of the council that this information is not going to be released.'

In Dunedin, a man rode an Lime e-scooter down a wet Baldwin St - the steepest street in New Zealand - twice.

HOUSE OF LIMES

Competition for riders is about to heat up in the city - Price said American scooter company Wave have been granted a licence to operate in Auckland.

According to Lime, Auckland has made nearly a million trips on its e-scooters in less than four months. As seen here on Auckland's Tamaki Drive.

'We don't want politics to come into this, we want facts, and we want to ensure the council is giving us a fair playing field, and every other operator is treated the same,' Price said.

However following last week's ban, the company called on riders to lobby Auckland Council and show their willingness to keep Lime scooters operating in the city.

On Saturday, users who signed in to the Lime scooter app were given the option to send an email to Auckland Council and all its councillors. By Monday morning, over 5000 emails clogged up councillor inboxes.

North Shore councillor Richard Hills wasn't impressed with the PR stunt: 'I'm a councillor who has been backing you [and] I use Lime too,' he tweeted.

'This won't get other councillors onside. Suspension is due to your defect not Lime opposition.'

The tactic is not not surprising; the company has been a raging success with nearly one million rides collectively taking Aucklanders around the globe 28 times - it's a position Lime would want to protect.

The growing trend of 'micro-mobility' transit is attractive for cities with transport issues. Price said other operators like Wave and Onzo were knocking on the doors of these markets, too.

A Lime survey of its Auckland users found 20 per cent were deciding to leave their car at home or not get a taxi, drastically changing the way they move around the city.

Price said this new mode of transport - the Uber of 2019 he believes - was a disruptive mobility, but it's something cities around the world were embracing and learning how to include in the transport mix.

And now that there were more operators coming into the space, Lime wanted to ensure a level playing field, Price said.

'I would expect [Auckland Council give] any other operator that is to come here the same level of scrutiny as we are going through, and the same level of cost associated.

'If you think about the cost of the independent reviews which the council wants us to pay for - which we are in principle supporting - all other operators across New Zealand must be held to the same standards.'

Price said Lime's newest scooter was being tested in the United States and was due to come out very soon. The V3 comes with a replaceable battery in the baseboard, and an LED face the size of a phone, with Google map integration for navigation.

'It's the Rolls-Royce of scooters and is made for Auckland.'

AUCKLAND, LIME AND SAFETY

Since its inception people have reported a raft of injuries from using Lime scooters, including broken bones and head injuries. ACC has paid out more than $200,000 for e-scooter-related injuries in the past few months.

Price said Lime takes its safety record seriously, but urged its numbers were seen in perspective - the latest issue, for example, affected fewer than 0.0045 per cent of all rides.

In a statement Lime said: 'Some riders have been injured, and, although most have been bumps and bruises, any injury is one too many.

'Like all forms of transportation, there is risk that we work to mitigate but cannot entirely eliminate. Data shows scooters are a safe form of transportation, comparable to or safer than bicycles. But there are risks even if they are very small, and we encourage you to ride safely by taking similar precautions to those you would take when riding a bike.'

In Auckland it plans to roll out a safety team - the Lime Squad - dedicated to scooting the streets to ensure standards.

Meanwhile, the Government was continuing to look at law changes that could impose a 10kmh speed limit for the e-scooters.

Anthony Fleo, Lime's regional manager, said a restriction could not be implemented on the scooter as it simply needed to go 25kmh to keep up with traffic in bike lanes.

'The speed on footpath can be controlled by the rider - scooters can go every speed between 0 - 25 kmh - and if the council wants to put a limit on that I would suggest they enforce it, just like you would speeding in a car.'

Price said Lime wants bikes and scooters to be treated the same, and has already asked NZTA and the councils they work with to get them off the footpath and on to low speed roads and cyclepaths.

'We have had early conversations with ACC about working together on safety preventative programmes. We rolled out respect the ride campaigns, the most recent in Dunedin at Otago University. We did the same in Wellington last month.

'We are confident we can ensure the safe use of our scooters.'

SCOOTER SAFETY TIPS FROM LIME

* Before starting your trip, walk around the scooter and do a visual inspection of the hardware. Is the vehicle body in good condition? If not, don't use that vehicle; report it to our customer service team and then select another vehicle.

* Once you start your trip, give the brake a tight squeeze. If the brake does not engage properly and immediately stop the vehicle, dismount, end the trip and notify Lime customer service.

* Use extra caution in the next few days while we issue the final firmware update -- especially when riding downhill. Always stay in full control of your scooter and don't go full speed while riding downhill.

* Comply with any scooter audible or visual warnings to slow or adjust your speed.

* Ride defensively: wear a helmet and reflective or bright clothing, give the right of way to cars, trucks and pedestrians, don't ever ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and always ride in bike lanes when available.

* Ride smart: follow the rules of the road, keep both hands on the handle bars, don't use your mobile device while riding and avoid wearing headphones.

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