More Lime e-scooters on the way

Lime scooters will remain on Christchurch streets for at least another year – and there will be more of them.

The city council has granted the California-based company a 12-month permit to operate a fleet of 1000 scooters, up from the existing 700.

Auckland and Dunedin city councils ordered the scooters off their streets last week due to safety concerns, but Christchurch councillors accepted assurances from Lime that the braking issue had now been fixed.

Lime would be charged $86.25 per scooter per year, which was based on the amount of space the scooters would take up on the footpath – calculated as half a square metre.

The permit could be suspended immediately, without notice, if urgent action was required to protect public safety.

Three New Zealand-based Lime representatives spoke to councillors yesterday and assured them the braking issue had been fixed.

New Zealand Lime launcher Matt McNeill said Lime had accepted the council’s permit charge, after discussing options with council staff.

‘‘It’s an outgoing cost to our business but I wouldn’t say it affects the longevity of the business.’’

Lime had earlier described the fee as ‘‘almost punitive’’. It said it already paid GST and corporation tax in New Zealand and had created more than 30 jobs in Christchurch.

Lime had earlier offered to pay $83 per scooter per year, but only in exchange for exclusivity. It had also offered to pay the council $200,000 up front to cover four years of exclusive rights to operate an unlimited number of scooters.