At the start of November, more than 30,000 people in Christchurch had downloaded the app and taken at least one trip. Collectively the scooters have been used for more than 87,000 trips. On average, riders travelled less than 1km.
Renting one costs $1 plus 30 cents a minute, the equivalent of $18 an hour. The scooters are aged restricted to people over 18 but, many underage people have been seen riding them around the city.
The 3-month trial is still in its early stages but the scooters are getting lots of use, particularly in the central city. Christchurch City Council Transport Operations Manager, Steffan Thomas said.
“They are proving a popular way of getting around. But we’ll need to do a thorough assessment of their impact before we decide whether to extend the permit beyond the trial period,’’ Thomas said.
Lime rider, Caitie Heath-Anderson, is making use of the discount codes that make it cost next to nothing to ride.
“They’re so much fun and it’s a great environmentally friendly and fun way to get around the city.” She said.
Lime’s trial permit is due to expire in Christchurch on January 15 but the Christchurch City Council is likely to grant an extension through until February, which is when Council staff are due to bring a final report on the trial to the Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee.
MetroNews requested a statement from Lime several days ago about safety concerns but they did not respond.