Lime e-scooter glitch: Injured Auckland man calls on Mayor Phil Goff to take action

Thursday, 14 February 2019

Limes have soared in popularity since being launched in Auckland and Christchurch in October. In December, a man was caught on video riding one of the e-scooters over the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

An Auckland man who suffered a smashed face and broken bones after a Lime e-scooter glitch sent him flying off is calling on Auckland Mayor Phil Goff to take action.

The injured man said Auckland Council was being 'negligent' for allowing the micro-mobility company to continue operating, given that Lime had already admitted to a malfunction in its fleet which randomly locked scooter wheels, causing abrupt braking.

'It is only a matter of time before we read about the city's first Lime scooter fatality,' warned the man, who Stuff has agreed not to name.

Lime admitted to the 'operational issue' on Thursday – the same fault that led the Californian startup to pull its entire fleet off the streets of Switzerland.

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

* Lime pulls scooters from Switzerland after abrupt braking causes spate of injuries**

Several Kiwis have come forward saying the glitch had happened to them too – one likening it to a game of 'Russian roulette'.

Auckland's Tamsyn Rutherford, 28, was riding around Cornwall Park with her partner in early February when the front wheel of her Lime scooter suddenly locked.

It sent her careering over the handle bars and onto the road.

She sustained a concussion which made her dizzy and slur her words, as well as several gashes and bruises, her partner Matt Foreman said.

Tamsyn Rutherford is pursuing Lime to cover the costs of her injuries.

Together they lodged a claim with Lime and sought reparations for A&E costs, pharmacy expenses and ongoing physiotherapy.

'I didn't think ACC should have to pay out for Lime's fault.'

Ashley Jones, 34, was scooting down Nelson St in the CBD in mid-January when the same thing happened.

Ashley Jones, 39, said he won't go back on a Lime scooter after his crash.

'The wheels locked and I went forward, flew through the air, landed on my elbow and chest before sliding a few metres down the road.'

He said he fractured his shoulder and possibly tore two tendons, as well as badly grazing an elbow.

Auckland mayoral candidate Joshua Love, 28, said he was whizzing down a hill by AUT when his Lime e-scooter's brakes suddenly applied.

'Without quick thinking I could have grazed more than my palms.'

But the glitch wasn't just affecting the Auckland fleet.

Lower Hutt's Zachary Devcich, 18, required stitches after his Lime scooter malfunctioned and sent him sprawling into the Petone Esplanade in February.

The electrical apprentice said he didn't have time to react when the brakes came on.

Joshua Love said he got off lightly after his scooter malfunctioned.

'I flew over the handlebars onto the sidewalk without any time to put my hands out.'

His father, John Devcich, was outraged.

'It seems to me Lime is playing Russian roulette with their scooters,' he said.

'They know they are faulty so they should take them out of circulation until they can assure us that they are safe.'

The accidents happened around the same time Stuff business journalist John Anthony noticed the glitch and Barista Chris St Bruno, 49, broke his collarbone in an 'excruciating' crash over the same malfunction.

LIME HAS NO ANSWERS ON HOW MANY SCOOTERS AFFECTED

When initially asked about the glitch, a Lime spokeswoman admitted the company was aware of it.

But she could not or would not say how many scooters were affected, let alone how many scooters were in the New Zealand market.

She said affected scooters had been removed from circulation, then asked future users who experienced the glitch to report it on the app so they could remove them too.

She could not or would not say when the glitch was first discovered in New Zealand, how many scooters had been removed and how many needed to be removed.

What caused the fault was also a mystery, as the issue was still under investigation.

Follow-up questions for further clarification were unanswered.

She did say, however, that user safety was Lime's first priority.

INJURED MAN CALLS ON MAYOR

The man with the smashed face wrote to Goff last Friday demanding action.

'Public perception is that Lime scooters are being promoted as an alternative transport mode by Auckland Council,' he wrote.

'However, Council are being negligent in allowing Lime scooters to operate in the City given that Lime themselves have admitted that a fault locks the wheels at speed causing crashes and serious injuries.'

He said it would only be a matter of time before the first Lime scooter fatality, and wanted the council to hold Lime to account before it was too late.

COUNCIL AWARE OF ISSUE

Goff, Auckland Transport and Auckland Council said they were all aware of the issue.

'We are seeking assurances from Lime that this is being managed with urgency,' Auckland Transport spokeswoman Joanna Glasswell said.

'We have set out high expectations for scooter safety … as part of Lime's licence extension, and we expect issues like this to be raised with us as a priority.'

The code of practice for shared scooter services stipulated the operator needs to ensure its fleet was safe for its customers.

'We expect any service provider to investigate and remedy safety issues as quickly as possible.'

Despite the glitches, a spokesman for Goff said the mayor still 'welcomes Lime's investment in Auckland'.