E-scooters: You can count me in
Electric scooters have had a pretty bad rap since international megacompany Lime brought them to Auckland and Christchurch. And yes, they have had a crash or two, some serious. But so have a few bikes and cars. And have you ever seen, or heaven forbid, had to try and pass a little kid on a bike on the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway? You almost see your life flash before your eyes.
On Sunday, the founders of Blip Scooters, a Taranaki-owned company set to launch rental electric scooters early next year were offering free trials, so of course I walked down to have a go.
You don’t have to be speed junkie to think e-scooters are great. The majority of people are considerate fellow travellers enjoying being eco-friendly and outdoors. The heeled boots I wore may not have been the best footwear option but after a handful of turns around the walkway, learning how to work it, I soon adapted, once my cycling-conditioned brain learned to control speed with my hands and not my feet. And no, I didn’t hit any little old ladies or run over any small dogs.
Blip uses an app system – find a nearby e-scooter, pay your $1 to unlock it and away you go, for 30c per minute. Then lock it up at the end for the next person.
Will it take me home to Bell Block, around 12 kilometres from my office, I ask? No sweat – they’ll do 40km before they run out of power – from New Plymouth to Mimi. People of all ages were giving them a go on Sunday. ‘‘Once they come in they’ll be all over Taranaki,’’ one woman said.
‘‘It’s pretty fun,’’ says co-founder Tima Al-saedy. ‘‘We’ve had people say it’s the best thing for Taranaki. It’s easy to transport; they want to ditch their cars.
‘‘We see different age groups on them; it makes me happy.’’
They are bringing the speed limit down from about 25kmh to 15kmh, and that does make sense for riding on a general footpath, compared to the more spacious Walkway. Al-saedy says a bit of drizzle is fine but on really wet days the scooters will not be unlocked. Helmets are not compulsory but definitely recommended. ‘‘We just want people to be safe and enjoy it. I’d rather educate people first and then let them have fun.’’
‘‘What we’re trying to do is get people out of their cars and into the outdoors,’’ adds husband and co-founder Ahmed Al-jumaily.
Despite the flack, I think they’re great. You’re more likely to get injured on the motorway driving home than you are while e-scootering or walking near e-scooterers. Count me in.
‘‘What we’re trying to do is get people out of their cars and into the outdoors.’’ Blip Scooters co-founder Ahmed Al-jumaily (left)