The scooter capital?
Te Pahu¯ could become the scooter capital of New Zealand if a bold new project gains traction.
Last month Limeworks Scooters Inc came to the market when the first franchisee, local Graeme Cairns, placed his scooter at the Helen Clark Celebrity Bus Shelter in the village CBD.
The prototype model was developed by another local, Richard Homan — franchiser and CEO of Limeworks Scooters Inc.
The Limeworks Scooter is an environmentally sustainable version of its urban counterpart made from 100 per cent recycled parts — bought from the Hamilton Transfer Station. The omission of the electric motor negates the risk of volatile lithium polymer batteries and promotes healthy exercise.
The first model has been rolled out and will be monitored for a year to test the viability of scooters as an alternative form of transport in Te Pahu¯ .
The charge for using it is $1/day, and the money is left in the tiny honesty box attached to the handle bars.
Graeme says if he regularly maintains and checks the Limeworks Scooter he could potentially earn up to $365 per annum. If successful there are plans for another 10 scooters to be introduced to Limeworks Loop Road next year, which would see Te Pahu¯ overtake Hamilton in terms of scooters to people per capita, with a ratio of one scooter per 127 residents, compared to Hamilton’s 1/338.5 people.
The honesty box so far has peaked at $3.90, but since dropped to 60c.
“That is an indication of the fluctuating levels of honesty in this community,” says Graeme. “It also brings into question the future of the honesty box system in the rural sector, which we have seen decline over the last few decades.”
Graeme has yet to install and test the tracking system.
He says the instructions say to activate the GPS System ‘Simply attach the Orange Receiver Module to the highest point on your property and the Green Transmitter Module to your Limeworks Scooters. You can now locate your fleet with ease at any time’.
“The Orange Receiver Module turned out to be a reel of orange sewing cotton and a roofing nail,” says Graeme. “At the end of the orange thread was tied a green clothes peg which I was to clip to the scooter.”