Scooter concerns

Scooter concerns

Pirie Street residents are concerned about someone shifting e-scooters off the pavement and onto the road, getting in the way of cars and buses.

A resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, has let The Local know that they’ve seen numerous instances of e-scooters and e-bikes left on the road - on yellow lines, on bus stops along Pirie Street, in front or behind parked cars, and close to driveway entrances.

“We initially thought this was inconsiderate rider parking. To our surprise we were informed by a scooter operator that an individual in Mount Victoria has been physically moving these from the footpath to the road.”

The local resident issued a plea for this to stop.

“It is a hazard for buses pulling into or out of bus stops and for residents parking their cars, especially around yellow lines on street corners.

The resident said scooter and bike riders also needed to use their common sense, and park mobility vehicles out of the way so they don’t block the footpath, building entrances or driveway.

“Please be considerate of your fellow residents, there are people who use wheelchairs, and prams, the elderly and those with low vision who all use the footpath regularly.”

Micro mobility operator Flamingo confirmed they were aware of ‘a member of the public shifting scooters and bikes onto the roadway in Mount Victoria’.

“We hold all our riders to a high standard and expect them to use our scooters and bikes safely and responsibly,” said Flamingo spokesperson Nick Hyland.

Any issues could be reported at flamingo.co.nz/contact or phone 0800 352 646. Flamingo said they would relocate the vehicle and contact the last rider.

Our local team will promptly relocate the scooter or bike to a safe location.”

“We follow up on all parking reports by contacting the last rider of the scooter or bike. Initially, riders receive an email warning, and if the issue persists, we follow up with a phone call. This education-based approach has proven highly effective, with most riders improving their parking habits after a discussion with a Flamingo representative. “Riders who continue to violate these rules risk having their accounts suspended,” Hyland said.

Issues with Beam vehicles can be reported Beams can be reported at www.ridebeam.com/report-a-beam.