E-scooter fleets ’significantly reduced’ or cut over coronavirus
An e-scooter operator in the CBD and along the coast has pulled its fleet from the streets, while another has “significantly reduced” its own to help contain the spread of coronavirus.
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A metropolitan Adelaide e-scooter provider has pulled its fleet from Adelaide streets entirely while another has decreased its presence to stop the potential spread of COVID-19.
Australian-based company RIDE made the decision to pull its scooters late last week as a “temporary” public safety measure.
Neuron Mobility, however, had “significantly reduced” its fleet.
RIDE chief executive Tom Cooper said his decision was in the best interest of his staff and wider public.
“Although we had all the sanitisation methods put in place to protect the community … we want people to stay at home as much as possible,” Mr Cooper said.
“Of course we intend to come back.”
Both Ride and Neuron offer services in the CBD, North Adelaide and along the metropolitan coastline between Seacliff to Outer Harbor.
In the CBD, Ride and Neuron had a permit to operate 500 e-scooters each until February 2022, however, the they only had a six-month trial along the coast.
The State Government has been contacted about the coastal trial and whether RIDE will be eligible for an extension.
Neuron Mobility chief executive Zachary Wang said the company was “even more focused” on providing safe transport options.
“We have already introduced a range of precautions, including extra sanitisation of our e-scooters during daily maintenance, deployment and battery swapping,” Mr Wang said.
“Measures have also been introduced to protect our staff, these include extra sanitisation practices and revised illness and travel policies.”
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Neuron is also offering health care workers free monthly passes to get to and from work, with hundreds of workers already registered.
“During these difficult times we remain even more focused on providing a safe and efficient transport option for those people that absolutely must travel, and these include Adelaide’s fantastic public health workers,” Mr Wang said.
JUMP e-bikes, operated by Uber, was contacted for comment.