Beam Mobility offers solution to ease Paradise O-Bahn interchange parking congestion
Could electric scooters help ease severe parking shortages at Adelaide’s busy bus interchanges? A private operator thinks so.
North & North East
Don't miss out on the headlines from North & North East. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Beam approaches councils to expand scooter network
- Lime scooters are out, Beam, RIDE are in
- Lime looks to set up in suburbs
- Hundreds of cautions issued to scooter users
An e-scooter operator has suggested commuters should use them to ride to a busy northeastern public transport interchange with severe parking shortages.
Beam Mobility has written to Campbelltown Council to seek approval to operate the scooters near the Paradise O-Bahn interchange, the Aquatic Recreation Centre (ARC) and on the Torrens Linear Park.
The Singapore-based company and rival company, RIDE, started operations in South Australia after Adelaide City Council decided not to grant a second permit for another e-scooter company, Lime.
Beam since has made submissions to several councils — including Campbelltown — on how e-scooter networks could be expanded beyond the Adelaide central business district.
Its northeastern plans focus 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.
Beam said it would locate e-scooters within 1.6km of the interchange to help people get to public transport without having to use their cars.
“Due to suburban connectivity issues, passengers are required to drive their car to the nearest bus stop or interchange,’’ says its submission.
“To reduce congestion and aid mobility, Beam proposes to place e-scooters in surrounding suburbs for the first and last mile of each trip to compliment the public transport system.”
The submission says e-scooters could help solve the parking issue which has plagued the Paradise interchange for years.
The State Government is finalising plans to build new car parks which were promised by both political parties before the last state election.
The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) is seeking public feedback on plans to putting a single storey car park and ground level car park alongside Gameau Rd.
Beam head of public affairs Brad Kitschke said e-scooters could be an immediate solution while the car parks were constructed.
“Congestion in local streets will improve when people leave their cars at home and take an e-scooter to a public transport hub,” he said.
“It’s a win for the local community and the environment.”
Mr Kitschke said e-scooters were being used in various countries to help commuters connect with public transport.
The benefits to the environment were considerable, as they produced less carbon emissions than cars.
“We think e-scooters will benefit the community by helping to make public transport more effective, getting people to and from the Paradise interchange and by increasing patronage of the O-Bahn and other public transport, thus reducing private vehicle use which has economic and environmental benefits for everyone,” he said.
Mr Kitschke said Beam believed e-scooters were also suited to the Torrens Linear Park and for users of the ARC, a popular community recreation facility on Lower North East Rd, Campbelltown.
He said the company had approached several other councils with proposals to use e-scooters.
“Beam has always prioritised the suburbs of metropolitan Adelaide with the same importance as the CBD,” he said.
“We have been engaging with councils for months and have made a number of submissions requesting permission to launch trials of Beam e-scooters,” he said.
“We can confirm that Campbelltown City Council is among those we have made submissions to.”
Mr Kitschke said Beam also had approached “the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, City of Charles Sturt, City of West Torrens, City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters, City of Unley, City of Prospect, City of Victor Harbor and City of Holdfast Bay”.
Beam’s submission to Campbelltown Council was considered behind closed doors by elected members earlier this month.
Mayor Jill Whittaker and chief executive Paul Di Iulio declined to comment on the grounds of confidentiality.
‘Miss you mummy’: Woman killed in motorbike crash identified
A mother of three has died after she slammed into the back of a parked car while riding her motorbike in the northern suburbs on Tuesday night.
Woman dies after sickening motorbike crash
A 39-year-old has died after her motorbike struck a parked car north of Adelaide on Tuesday night.