Lime and RIDE scooters both abandon the Gold Coast, with council in no rush to follow Brisbane’s lead

Lime said it is desperate to return to the Coast after a sour launch last year, but the future looks bleak with council revealing it is in no rush to ink an electric scooter deal.

GOLD Coast Council has revealed it is in no rush to ink an electric scooter deal for the Coast after both operators were forced to abandon the city.

While the Brisbane forges ahead with plans to approve two e-scooter contracts, Gold Coast Council said it is no closer to making a similar deal here.

Ride On Australia’s eye-catching yellow and black e-scooters recently disappeared from local streets without a word, with staff remaining tight-lipped on if they will ever return to the Coast.

In January RIDE announced it was expanding to Broadbeach, but has since disappeared off the map. Picture Glenn Hampson

A spokeswoman told the Bulletin RIDE had chosen to end its “trial” on the Gold Coast and “next steps haven’t been decided”.

Early stoushes with Gold Coast Council over bylaws and public land last December saw RIDE rely on the generosity of local cafes and apartment blocks to keep the scooters off council property.

RIDE used private properties, like this coffee shop at Chevron Island to skirt council bylaws. Photo: Talisa Eley

During its three month stint on the Coast 27 RIDE scooters were seized by Council after they were dumped on the street.

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In late January co-founder and acting CEO Aaron LaLux admitted to the Bulletin the company was not making any money on the Coast.

“Gold Coast Council is a tough council and they’re really holding us to our word … we’re not making money but we are operating,” Mr LaLux said at time.

“(We are held to) to a very high standard so we are employing additional resources in order to ensure the bylaws are respected.”

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Lime Scooters also set up on the Coast last December and copped a $17,000 fine and swift marching orders from council in its first 24 hours for failing to seek a permit.

Lime scooters were only on the Gold Coast for mere hours before the company was told to clear out. Picture Glenn Hampson

But Lime said the unfriendly welcome had not left a sour taste in its mouth.

Lime’s Public Affairs Manager Nelson Savanh said the company would be back “in a heartbeat” if council granted approval.

“At the end of the day the Gold Coast is a priority for us, we see huge tourism benefits,” he said.

“We can see the potential in the pretty big population, the density around the core bits of the Coast, the tourists coming through.”

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Mr Savanh said Lime’s recent “success” in Brisbane made a solid case for councils like the Gold Coast which were hesitant to accept scooters.

He insisted locals were eager to embrace the new method of transport.

E-scooters have proved popular in Brisbane, but the trial hasn’t been without its issues. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

But a Gold Coast Council spokeswoman said there had been “mixed feedback” about the scooters from members of the public.

She said all decisions will be delayed until a report is presented to council as to how best to manage scooters on the Coast; “The report will consider how the City can best manage the risks presented by the growing use of these devices … no decisions will be made until the report is brought back to Council (in coming months).”

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Member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek said safety needed to be a priority.

“With reports that two people a day are being hospitalised in Brisbane since Lime established a presence there, my number one concern has been, and will always be, the safety of riders and pedestrians,” he said.

Mr Langbroek called for the government set down clear guidelines for all motorised modes of transport on busy streets; “I’m really concerned about this plethora of different forms of motorised transport that’s now on the footpath along the esplanade in my electorate — our footpaths are starting to get overcrowded.”

The safety of the e-scooters and lack of helmets has been a bugbear in the Brisbane trial. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

“This is going to affect future planning for roads because we’ve got more and more people who want to have alternative forms of transport including bikes, e-scooters, motorised scooters and skateboards.

“I don’t think it will fix congestion — we’re a linear city, if you’re riding around my electorate it’s going to be by the beach in Surfers Paradise, and I believe that’s tourists and people doing it for fun (not serious travel).”

Originally published as Lime and RIDE scooters both abandon the Gold Coast, with council in no rush to follow Brisbane’s lead