Lime scooters looks to muscle in on Gold Coast despite Council warnings

The gloves are off in the Gold Coast’s scooter war with council vowing to seize any Lime scooters found on local streets today.

THE gloves are off in the latest e-scooter stoush on the Gold Coast with council vowing to seize any of the electric scooters left on public property.

The company has been told it cannot operate on public land without a council permit, and the scooters will be seized by officials if they are still out after 3.30pm.

Up to 60 lime-green scooters were to be rolled out across Surfers Paradise over the weekend after being officially launched at midday today.

Lime scooters, which are also being trialled in Brisbane, popped up along the Surfers Paradise Esplanade, with the company looking to muscle in on the growing hire industry on the Gold Coast.

Lime earlier told The Gold Coast Bulletin it would not bow to council demands and pledged to continue offering its services on the Coast, despite not having a permit.

Lime scooters have been set up around Surfers Paradise today.

Gold Coast Council issued Lime with a notice to stop operating, giving the business just two hours to clear out of the city.

Council’s Director of Transport and Infrastructure Alton Twine said Lime has not been given approval to operate on the Gold Coast and the authority would “come down hard” on it, along with other e-scooter businesses looking to dodge the official channels.

“It’s in breach of one of our local laws so we’ll be serving them with a notice of compliance,” he said.

“What we don’t accept in the city is operators just turning up, essentially plonking their products down on city streets and footpaths.”

Council officials speak with Lime Director of Government Affairs Mitchell Price following the launch of the e-scooters on the esplanade at Surfers Paradise today.

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However Lime has issued a challenge to council and said it will continue to place scooters on the Gold Coast, no matter how many council officials seize.

Lime’s Director of Government Affairs Mitchell Price said the business will continue with its rollout of 60 scooters in Surfers Paradise over the weekend.

“We won’t be ceasing our operations because council decides to send us a notification,” he said.

“We will pay any fines that council decides it wants to issue us and we’ll put (the scooters) back on the streets.”

“Council has brought this on themselves, they decided to sit on their hands and do nothing, now that attitude has resulted in us launching our product here and we’ll continue to do so over the coming days,” he said.

Lime scooters have been set up around Surfers Paradise today.

Mr Price claimed the company had been in talks with council for six months, however a council spokesman firmly denied that today, telling The Bulletin talks began in the last two weeks.

It’s the second e-scooter business to establish itself on the Gold Coast without council approval this month, after black and yellow coloured Ride scooters were launched before Christmas.

Ride currently exploits a loophole which allows it to operate on private land to avoid run-ins with council authorities.

Council officials speak with Lime Director of Government Affairs Mitchell Price following the launch of the e-scooters on the Esplanade at Surfers Paradise today.