E-scooters get seven month trial extension in Auckland

E-scooters will remain on Auckland footpaths for at least another seven months with a new trial extension to begin on Monday.

The new trial builds on the current one that ends on March 31, with new licence conditions for operators - which have yet to be detailed.

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Those conditions include set requirements for improved incident and maintenance reporting by operators, as well as new fees.

The Auckland Council and Auckland Transport are sharing the new trial which runs from April 1, 2019 to October 31, 2019.

The current e-scooter operators in Auckland will be issued interim licences until April 12 when the new conditions are finalised after remaining trip data from the previous trial has been analysed.

Shane Ellison, Auckland Transport chief executive, said by April 12 they will be able to confirm how many scooters they believe will be the best number for the city centre and other areas of Auckland.

"The benefits also need to be balanced with the safety of everyone on our footpaths. It has become clear that there is a need for a national regulatory framework for e-scooters, whether they be a shared service or privately owned.

"We're following other cities, such as Portland, Oregon, by holding a second trial with more stringent conditions.

"In the meantime, AT and Auckland Council believe the licences issued under the Street Trading Bylaw enable us, as much as we can, to regulate shared e-scooter services."

Auckland Council chief operating officer Dean Kimpton said once the new licences are adopted, operators will have stringent timelines to meet with the new conditions.

"The operators will have two days to provide any feedback on the new licence conditions before they are finalised.

"Other operators are welcome to apply for licences and these will be considered based on the quality and track record of the operator, as well as the number of scooters permitted overall as part of this new trial."

The new e-scooter trial:

• Runs from 1 April 2019 to 31 October 2019.

• Will include new conditions, to be finalised by 12 April 2019, following final analysis of data provided by the existing e-scooter operators to 31 March 2019.

• Operators will be issued an interim licence until 12 April 2019 when the new conditions are finalised.

• Operators will have the opportunity to give feedback on draft conditions ahead of them being finalised.

• Once confirmed, operators will have seven working days to comply with the new conditions.

• The evaluation of the first trial is underway and will be completed in the coming weeks.