E-scooter company moves to improve safety measures after concerns raised

A rider safety summit is due to be held in New Zealand to educate e-scooter riders. Photo / File

Global electric scooter giant Lime is racing to improve its safety measures as authorities and the public raise concerns about the latest craze sweeping the streets.

More than 40,100 people have used the distinctive and increasingly popular green e-scooters in Christchurch and Auckland since they were launched just over a week ago.

In that time, up to 14 people have filed an ACC injury claim.

Yesterday, the Auckland Council announced it would be reviewing the safety of the scooters after one of its own, councillor Christine Fletcher, was almost "taken out'' by one while at a pedestrian crossing.

Now Lime has announced a special Rider Safety Summit to be held within the next week to educate riders on the importance of responsible scooter usage.

Spokesman Hank Rowe confirmed NZ Lime representatives are now working with local authorities in Christchurch and Auckland and are in discussions with the NZ Transport Agency, Auckland Transport and Christchurch City Council.

"We are taking on board concerns that have been raised about the safety of riders and pedestrians."

Herald readers were quick to back the news that Auckland Council was seeking urgent advice on the safety of the scooters; sharing similar stories of their own near misses.

A woman said her family would not be using the scooters again after an accident involving her 8-year-old son over the weekend.

She, her husband and two children were at the Viaduct when her son asked to have a go on the e-scooter his father had rented.

"He was having a brilliant time until [a toddler] on a normal scooter crossed in front of his path and my son was going too fast to stop properly.''

The youngster lost control and fell off the e-scooter; badly injuring a knee and hitting his head so hard it left a long dent in his helmet, made by a sharp corner of the wharf barrier.

"It would have cracked his head open if he hadn't been wearing a helmet. Five days later, I still have thoughts on what could have happened.''

Another woman said: "I was crossing a footpath on Symonds St when a student sped past me - so close that I felt the wind whip up around me, and abruptly stopped me in my tracks.

"I'm pregnant and had he been any closer and hit me, he could have severely hurt me and my baby!''

Resident John Macgillivray said road rules needed to be updated in order to cope with the new form of transport.

He recently saw an incident where an elderly blind woman was walking on Dominion Rd when two teenage girls on e-scooters rushed past her - so close they knocked the woman's support cane out of her hand.

"They didn't stop to check, just sped away. Needless to say, the blind woman was visibly distressed.''

Geoff Creighton said his 82-year-old mother was getting off a bus on Jervois Rd when an e-scooter shot past her by the kerb, just as she was about to put her foot down on the footpath.

"Another few inches and I'd have had a broken leg at least,'' she told him.

Meanwhile, others who have used e-scooters regularly have come to their defence; pointing out that people needed to be responsible.

One long-time user, in his 50s, said that responsibility also fell on companies who rolled out the huge fleet of e-scooters over a short period time without properly educating people how to use them.