Low-key style keeps Ride on
AN electric scooter company is yet to turn a profit on the Gold Coast but founders said they are just happy to have escaped the ire of the “strict” local council.
RIDE scooters, which was the first company to launch in the city just before Christmas, has so far avoided the fate of its competitor Lime by using local businesses as collection points, keeping the scooters off public property.
RIDE On Australia cofounder and acting CEO Aaron LaLux said council was currently “tolerating” the business operating on the Gold Coast.
“We don’t have a free pass with council, they’re not sitting back in a lounge chair, they’re holding us to a very high standard so we are employing additional resources in order to ensure the bylaws are respected,” he said.
“Gold Coast Council is a tough council and they’re really holding us to our word … we’re not making money but we are operating.”
The company has been forced to shell out big money to monitor the location of its scooters, and keep them off public land, but is hoping a slow, “respectful” rollout will result in long-term success on the Coast.
Locals can locate and hire rides via a map on the company’s mobile app, paying $1 to unlock them and 25 cents per minute of use.
While others have been stamped out for operating without the appropriate permits, RIDE has generally managed to cruise under council’s radar, thanks to a simple loophole relying on the kindness of others.
The company operates solely from private land, relying on small businesses and even homeowners to host scooters on their property.
Council has previously made good on threats to seize any scooters left on public property, charging offending companies $647 for each scooter collected.
Lime was charged more than $17,000 in fines in just one week.
Mr LaLux said RIDE depends on users being considerate in where they leave the scooters at the end of their ride, so they are not seized by council officials.
“If a rider can leave it back on private property and out of the way of council land when they’re finished everyone is going to be fine,” he said. Around 100 RIDE scooters have been rolled out between Coolangatta and Southport, centred mostly around Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise.
WE DON’T HAVE A FREE PASS WITH COUNCIL, THEY’RE NOT SITTING BACK IN A LOUNGE CHAIR, THEY’RE HOLDING US TO A VERY HIGH STANDARD
AARON LALUX