Beam share ebikes bound for Bondi and Waverley council
Last time share bikes came to town it was a disaster with the often mangled cycles abandoned on cliffs and left cluttering public spaces. But Beam promises their advanced technology means this time will be different.
Wentworth Courier
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A new share bike company has landed in the eastern suburbs and has pledged its sophisticated technology will prevent a repeat of the abandoned cycle saga which saw Waverley council seize dozens of bicycles in 2018.
The purple Beam Apollo electric bikes were officially launched at Bondi Beach on Sunday but had been spotted around the area as early as last Tuesday.
Waverley Council is the first place in Australia to trial the bikes with Beam deploying an initial fleet of 50 e-bikes with plans to grow to 250 over the coming weeks.
In 2018 its competitors oBike, Reddy Go, ofo and Mobike incurred the wrath of then mayor John Wakefield who lead the charge for the bikes to be impounded after they were damaged and dumped throughout the area.
This time around, council has cautiously welcomed Beam with bike bosses promising its cutting edge technology will prevent the dumping experienced by previous operators.
“Waverley Council is aware of the launch of Beam Mobility bikes in Waverley. Council welcomes share bikes as a sustainable transport option for residents and visitors, as long as they are managed appropriately such as timely collection of bikes, and that they do not create dangerous obstacles for pedestrians on our footpaths,” a council spokeswoman said.
“The GPS technology, minimising the risk of dumped bikes, should mean a successful uptake of the bikes although we will be closely monitoring. Prioritising sustainable transport options is part of Council’s People, Movement and Places Strategy.”
The bikes will be strategically placed to maximise the city’s existing bike infrastructure.
Beam bosses believe their app will allay many of the issues which plagued their predecessors.
Users will need to put their details into the app to unlock the helmet and they will be incentivised to drop them at an appropriate parking spot at their destination.
Data will be streamed back to maintenance team about the bike’s location and whether the battery needs replacing.
Beam bikes also appear to be sturdier than others on the market and boast large high-grip wheels, an anti tipping stand and concealed wires and cables to minimise vandalism.
Beam Australia and New Zealand general manager Khoa Pham said virtual docking technology would ensure that e-bikes are parked appropriately, and the smart Bluetooth enabled helmet lock would avoid errant helmets cluttering public spaces.
“Having a ‘virtual docked’ model ensures riders park in predetermined parking spots by being incentivised through the Beam mobile app,” Mr Pham said.
“Our local Beam rangers also receive alerts and can rapidly respond when bikes are parked inappropriately as part of our fleet management system.”
The bikes and helmets are coated with a non-toxic, long-lasting antimicrobial treatment to protect against spread of bacteria and are regularly sanitised with hospital-grade disinfectant.
“COVID-19 has made people think more seriously about how they travel and as people return to work and other amenities, many are opting to walk or ride as an alternative open-air form of transport,” said Mr Pham.
“Micromobility has the potential to reshape the way our cities move, by enabling people to get around easily, affordably and safely.
“We’re delighted to launch the Beam Apollo, our first e-bike fleet in iconic Bondi – a community that embraces the outdoors and active transport – and we look forward to seeing how e-bikes will play a part to reactivate Sydney post-COVID.”
As a result of previous issues experienced with share bikes, the NSW Impounding Act was amended in late 2018.
Operators must now move a shared bicycle that causes an obstruction within three hours of being notified.
Any bicycle that remains unmoved for seven days can be considered to be abandoned and if unmoved within four days of notification will attract a fine.
Councils may immediately impound any bicycle causing an obstruction, or move the bicycle to another safe location and all bikes must a have a phone number attached so contact can easily be made with the operator.
Beam already operates 1050 electric scooters in Adelaide and 300 in Bunbury Western Australia, with operations soon to commence in Canberra and Townsville.
It also has established e-scooter fleets of 730 in Auckland and 300 in Christchurch, 400 in Kuala Lumpur plus 13,000 in Seoul.