The e-scooter newcomers set to hit Auckland streets

Neuron Mobility operates its fleet of e-scooters in Singapore, Thailand, and most recently Brisbane. Photo / Neuron website.

Singapore-based e-scooter companies Neuron and Beam, will join Flamingo and Uber's Jump as the newest operators to hit Auckland streets.

Auckland Council this morning announced it had dumped Lime and Wave e-scooters following safety concerns and instead granted the four operators licences to operate in the country's largest city.

The four new operators, some of whom already operate in other New Zealand cities, such as Beam which already operates in Christchurch, will roll out their electric scooters in Auckland next Tuesday. The operating licences will run for six months, and the operators are permitted to put 3200 scooters on the streets between them.

The council acknowledged that the four new operators had a stronger case, including safety aspects, compared to previous licensees Lime and Wave.

Neuron e-scooters are operated by South East Asian electric scooter company Neuron Mobility, based in Singapore. The company, founded in 2016, currently operates in Singapore, Bangkok and Malaysia, and in August, 600 of its scooters were rolled out in Brisbane.

The company claims that safety is its number one priority. Its scooters have front and rear brakes, come with a helmet, have a 15km/h speed limit and also a rider insurance policy.

Neuron's safety track record seems to be clean, though it was reported the company faces 56 charges for operating without a licence in Singapore.

According to the Strait Times, 144 Neuron's e-scooters were impounded by Singapore's Land Transport Authority. Its chief executive Zachary Wang Zizi had earlier been charged with two counts of the same offence under Singapore's Parking Places Act.

Fellow e-scooter newcomer Beam launched its fleet of e-scooters in Christchurch, as part of a trial, in June this year, rolling out 300 of its scooters.

Beam, like Neuron, says it prioritises safety and "sees itself as a responsible partner".

In a media release, Beam head of public affairs, Brad Kitschke, said the company prioritised "working with cities to solve their problems and we promote safety, not just for e-scooter users but for everyone".

"Our fleet, our technology, and the way we operate will clearly demonstrate our commitment to improving the Christchurch moves," Kitschke said earlier in the year.

Beam e-scooters also come with helmets and have a maximum speed of 15km/h. Beam also operates in Adelaide.

Council director of regulatory services Craig Hobbs said the four new operators had successful applications as their cases included "higher quality strategies around influencing user behaviour to improve safety outcomes and reduce potential nuisance".

Flamingo is a Wellington-based company founded in 2018 and is operating e-scooters in Wellington. Jump is operated by American ridesharing company Uber and began as a bike-sharing company, also operating in Wellington.