The company’s public affairs manager, Lauren Mentjox, spoke against the Dunedin City Council’s proposed trading in public places bylaw at a hearing yesterday.
Speaking via video-conferencing platform Zoom, she said it was aware of concerns from the disabled community, and was actively working on issues like tipped-over or poorly parked scooters.
"We’re about to embark on a national campaign about mobility."
Lime had the technology to detect when a scooter was on its side or had been poorly parked and could rectify the situation quickly, often within an hour, she said.
It was also working to educate riders about the issue.
"We make sure we do our best about having them upright.
"It’s coming up two years since Lime has been in Dunedin, and we’ve ironed out a lot of the issues the [proposed] bylaw is addressing."
Ms Mentjox said Lime was a transport provider and should be treated as such.
"The footpath is not necessarily the place where scooters should be ridden."
Its preference was re-purposing car parks for scooter use.
"We’re trying to get people out of their cars. We understand it’s disruptive but we believe it needs to be regulated as a transport provider rather than as street furniture.
A memorandum of understanding between Lime and the council was working, without need to alter the present bylaw, she said.
"Our local team [is] very responsive, if there are issues we are more than happy to address them.
She referenced changes Lime had made in the city including implementing lower speed zones in the city and create "geo-fences" where in certain areas Limes would not work.
Councillor Andrew Whiley said he often saw a lime scooter lying on the ground for hours at a time without being moved.
Ms Mentjox replied saying Lime spent time on the phone with residents, and was able to talk to anyone who was having issues with mobility.
On Tuesday, the committee heard from disability advocates who said it was often difficult to navigate around e-scooters that had fallen over or were parked across the footpath.
Disabled Persons Assembly kaituitui-community networker Chris Ford said he supported the proposed bylaw as it would allow the council to geo-fence e-scooters, which were hazardous for those with mobility issues.
"Every day at least one scooter disposed of across the footpath ... it makes it very difficult for us, particularly in congested areas."
The regulatory subcommittee has begun deliberations based on the hearings and will make recommendations on the proposed bylaw to the full council.
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Comments
Every morning on my way to work you see these scooters parked exactly as the picture - right across the footpath. And that's not counting the ones just left right in the middle by users. At its heart Lime is essentially a corporate get rich quick scheme for its investors and the veneer of community concern is exactly that. People should push these onto the road every chance they get.
"The footpath is not necessarily the place where scooters should be ridden." Remove the word 'necessarily' Ms Mentjox and you would be speaking the truth, especially for a company that states 'we are confident in the safety of our service'.
Lime is out and out lying.
I've seen discarded scooters recently that have sat in the same spot for days. The trouble is, when you make them safe for anyone else, Lime probably don't get the notifications they claim are made for scooters on their sides or poorly parked.
There is no active management of this issue by Lime.
E-scooters are a blot on the landscape. A trip up for anyone, not just the elderly and handicapped, but young people on cell phones and children. And that's when they are stationary! At speed on-road or pathways they are just out of control dangerous. Please get rid of them except on their own runways which companies like Lime can pay for!
I agree with the comments already published here - I see these scooters lying here and there and blocking footpaths... I don't believe a word from the scooter providers, they are just making as much money as they can, with little regard for the safety of pedestrians (disabled or not) or the beauty of Dunedin's environment.
Who is trying to get people out of cars? the council or lime? to very poor organizations.
These stupid machines should never have been allowed in the first place. Really poor decision by DCC. Just get rid of them.