Auckland Council has selected two operators to receive new licences to operate rental micromobility businesses in Auckland.
Seven licence applications were received for a combination of e-scooter and e-bike licences. Two existing operators – Beam and Lime – have been offered licences, the Council announced today.
Auckland Council’s Acting Manager Alcohol Licensing and Environmental Health, Veronica Lee-Thompson says the applications received were high quality with a strong focus on influencing user behaviour, reducing nuisance and improving safety outcomes.
“We saw a really exciting range of initiatives offered across the applications, with new innovations in parking technology and pedestrian and rider safety,” she said.
The new licences will be issued to the successful operators to start 4 November.
“Since rental micromobility first launched in Auckland we have continued to improve our Code of Practice by strengthening our requirements around safety and influencing user behaviour,” said Ms Lee-Thompson.
“We’ve combined the rental e-scooter and e-bike codes into a new Rental Micromobility Code of Practice, to better manage operator compliance.
“Throughout the current licensing period we have identified opportunities for improvement around e-scooter and e-bike parking.
“We’ve incorporated this need into the new Code of Practice and our deployment requirements, and we’re currently exploring further options by undertaking a designated parking trial in and around the Britomart area,” she said.
The current e-scooter allocation in the city centre is 330 per operator with three operators. From 4 November it will be 450 per operator with two operators.
“This will allow us to have a closer, more productive relationship with operators and will make for easier improvements to parking and compliance.”
Council says the unsuccessful applicant that is currently licensed to operate in Auckland will be required to deactivate their e-scooters by midnight on Thursday 3 November and have all devices off the streets by Friday 18 November.
