Lime invests $4.5 million into public safety campaign

Lime will invest more than US$3 million ($4.5m) to educate riders and non-riders on electric scooter safety as part of its "Respect the Ride" campaign.

The US transportation giant, which launched its e-scooters in Auckland and Christchurch last month, has come under criticism from some people regarding incidents of unsafe use by riders.

Toby Sun, CEO and co-founder of Lime, said the company was committed to public safety and education.

"As part of our continued commitment to public safety and education, Lime is investing over US$3m to help empower people across the world to ride responsibly," Sun said.

"The Respect The Ride campaign utilises a multi-pronged approach to rider education, equipping our community with the resources necessary to make each smart mobility trip a safe and enjoyable experience."

There are four key components to the "Respect the Ride" campaign:

• "Respect the Ride" movement will include an ad campaign, community outreach ambassador programme, community pledge for riders to commit to safe-riding standards and helmet distribution (250,000 helmets to be distributed over the coming months, with free helmets for the first 25K users and advocates who pledge their support).

• Safety Summit for Shared Mobility will be the first ever micro-mobility summit, hosted by Lime, that's dedicated to industry safety. Summit to include key stakeholders and officials to discuss topics such as safety, transportation and policy engagement.

• Dedicated Trust & Safety Team

• Product enhancements include in-app and on-vehicle safety features to address and promote safe riding.

• State policy advocacy to encourage greater education around safe driving and micro-mobility awareness.

"Lime will be running a multi-channel local advertising campaign in conjunction with Respect The Ride. This will include digital and outdoor advertisements reminding riders to wear helmets, abide by local laws, park responsibly and stay aware of their surroundings when riding," Sun said.

600 scooters have been distributed across Auckland and 400 in Christchurch as Lime looks to push into the New Zealand market.

There will be a review in three months to establish whether more are needed in these cities as well as possible expansion into other areas.

According to a lawsuit in the United States targeting e-scooter companies, including Lime, two plaintiffs have been injured by tripping over discarded scooters left on the sidewalk, four have been rammed into from behind while walking, and a 7-year-old boy suffered severe damage to eight of his front teeth.

Lime currently operates in more than 100 cities across 12 countries, including 19 cities outside the United States.