Flamingo flying again

Wellington will have fewer electric scooters on the road as Jump goes through a change of hands.

Flamingo e-scooters were back in Wellington yesterday with lockdown now at level 2, but Jump scooters will not return immediately.

On Monday, micromobility company Lime announced it had bought Uber’s Jump.

Uber sold its international e-scooters and e-bike arm to Lime as part of a US$170 million (NZ$283m) investment in the company by Uber, Google owner Alphabet and other investors.

Uber operates Jump scooters in Auckland and Wellington. A spokesperson said there was no set date for the scooters to return in either city.

Jump scooters will still be accessible on the Uber app, even after the sale is completed.

But the change of ownership means Jump may need a new operating licence from the Wellington City Council.

‘‘We had an arrangement with Uber, we didn’t have an arrangement with Lime,’’ Wellington deputy mayor Sarah Free said.

Wellington City councillor Tamatha Paul said she welcomed having fewer e-scooters on the road, as they could be dangerous for people with disabilities.

‘‘I’m supportive of Flamingo being the only ones operating as they employ locally,’’ Paul said.

Free, who holds the city council transport portfolio, said there had been no special discussions between the council and Flamingo.

‘‘The scooters were always going to return as normal once the Government announced they could get back to business,’’ Free said.