Electric scooter operator approaches ICC
Wednesday, 10 April 2019
An electric scooter operator may be eyeing up Invercargill for business.
Anyone can buy an e-scooter and ride it on the streets, but if a company wants to hire out its e-scooters from the footpath they need permission from the city council.
The council's roading manager, Russell Pearson said it had received an initial approach from an operator this week, but it was early days in the process.
He did not say who the company was.
**READ MORE:
* Lime lobbying rushed NZTA to exempt e-scooters from vehicle regulations
* Lime pushes for exclusive e-scooter rights on Christchurch streets
* Government looks set to impose 10kmh Lime scooter speed limit
* E-scooter injury claims and near misses spark safety fears**
A spokeswoman for Lime e-scooters, which operate in several New Zealand cities, said as far as she knew the company had not been in touch with the Invercargill City Council.
City councillor Lindsay Thomas said he had seen a man riding an e-scooter 'exceptionally fast' along the footpath past the Scottish Hall this week, though he did not know the brand.
'We [council] have to sit down and come up with a bylaw for these e-scooters because they will get more and more popular.'
Thomas, speaking before knowing an operator had approached the council, said it would be prudent for the council to be prepared for the arrival of e-scooters.
He reckoned it would be 'quite cool' to ride an e-scooter around Queens Park.
Pearson said there were currently no specific restrictions on e-scooters under the council's roading and traffic bylaw.
However, the council could consider e-scooters to fall under the definition of wheeled recreational devices and such devices could not be used in Wachner Place, around the city council building, Civic Theatre, the car park building in Leven Street and sand dunes in the district.
NZTA guidelines suggested e-scooters could be ridden on the footpath or road, but not in designated cycle lanes.
Whether the council needed a bylaw for e-scooters in Invercargill would be guided by national legislation and local issues determined by the council, Pearson said.
In January, Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt said he was looking forward to when Lime e-scooters arrived in Invercargill.
He had fond memories of riding an e-scooter in Christchurch.
'They're fantastic, incredibly fast. I think Invercargill would be ideal … it's so flat.'