Scooter bid up in air

Council to make decision without dialogue

A GROUNDHOG’S Day decision on running electric scooter hire trials in the pedestrian intestines of the Cairns CBD is about to run its course with one key player missing from the equation.

Cairns Regional Council last month postponed its determination in order to take further advice on the likely fallout of allowing e-scooter trials in the city.

The matter is back on the table for tomorrow’s meeting with the same rejection recommendation – despite no one from the council making contact with the biggest player in the game, Lime.

The rideshare e-scooter company’s public affairs manager Nelson Savanh was surprised to learn the decision was back on the agenda.

“I haven’t had any contact from council – no request for extra information or feedback,” he said.

“I think there’s a lot of opportunities around this and the recommendation really doesn’t match up with what the report says.

“It says police aren’t opposed to it and that there’s no financial cost to council.

“It says, OK, there are risks but we can manage them.

“To me it just doesn’t stack up – there’s no overwhelming reasons not to support it.”

Mr Savanh hoped he would get a chance to make another pitch to the council, or even send up a demonstration scooter so the local government decision-makers could have a ride themselves.

“If there’s anything extra they want, we would be happy to come to the table,” he said.

The report also identifies potential injuries due to misuse and problems with footpaths becoming blocked by unused scooters, although it noted scooters would be taken off the streets at night and redeployed in the morning.

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