Bird becomes fourth e-scooter company hoping to set up in Adelaide

A fourth e-scooter company is looking to set up in Adelaide — and this one is raising the stakes.

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One of the world’s largest electric scooter companies is looking at setting up in Adelaide, potentially setting up a four-way battle for the streets.

Bird, based in Santa Monica, California, has “informally approached” Adelaide City Council about setting up in SA, and registered an Australian company in August last year.

The company has also employed an Australian-based lobbyist.

Bird is valued at $US2 billion, and was founded in 2017 by former Uber and Lyft executive Travis VanderZanden.

Unlike other scooter companies, Bird recently announced you would actually be able to buy its new model, the Bird One scooter, for $US1299.

The company is also planning to roll out a two-person Cruiser e-bike mid-year.

Bird describes the Cruiser as providing a “ridiculously fun —` and comfortable — ride” with the bike having a cushioned seat for two and full suspension.

“Cruise uphill, downhill, and all roads in between with an electric boost and instant acceleration,’’ the company says.

The Bird Cruiser e-bike, which will be launched this year.

Adelaide City Council is running a six-month scooter trial, with companies Beam and Australian-owned RIDE the only two allowed to operate under the scheme.

The trial locked out early-mover Lime, which hit the streets during Mad March, but ran afoul of the council for not strictly enforcing the “geo-fenced” CBD boundary that was supposed to disable scooters if they went outside the area for which they were licensed.

Under the current trial, which will run until mid-October, Beam and RIDE can each operate 500 scooters in the CBD, bounded by West, South and East terraces with small extensions taking in Adelaide University and Rymill and Rundle parks.

If the scooters venture outside these areas, or in Rundle Mall where there are not able to be ridden, they will be disabled. Lime argued that doing this would constitute a safety risk.

A city council spokesman said council administration had been “informally approached” by Bird, but at this stage no formal conversations or applications to operate had been initiated.

While scooter trials are currently limited to the city, the companies involved are interested in spreading into other areas, such as around transport hubs like the O-Bahn interchanges.

Beam has made submissions to several councils on how e-scooter networks could be expanded, with its northeastern plans focused on the Paradise interchange, where hundreds of commuters are forced daily to park their vehicles on nearby Darley Rd, local streets and a church’s grounds because of parking shortages

The Adelaide City Council said last month it was working with Beam and Ride to develop scooter parking bays to avoid scooters cluttering walkways.

RIDE chief executive Tom Cooper. Picture Dean Martin

Parking bays will be trialled at Adelaide Railway station, Rundle Mall tram stop, Gouger St and Central Markets, Adelaide University, Rundle St and at each end of Rundle Mall.

Beam’s SA head of operations Locky Cooper said at the time it was a step forward for e-scooter safety.

The Bird website says the company operates in more than 100 cities across the US, Europe and the Middle East.

Similar to other operators, the Bird scooter is unlocked with an app.

All companies also offer the ability to make money by charging scooters.

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