Under new conditions set by Council, Lime will be required to report "serious safety incidents" anywhere in the world to officials within 48 hours. Photo / Greg Bowker
Under new conditions set by Council, Lime will be required to report "serious safety incidents" anywhere in the world to officials within 48 hours. Photo / Greg Bowker
The return of Lime Scooters is being pushed back to the middle of next week to allow the company to double and triple check hardware.
Auckland Council yesterday lifted a temporary ban on the scooters,implemented last week amid growing safety concerns.
A raft of accidents and injuries from riders and pedestrians has been reported since the scooters were introduced in Auckland last October.
One man suffered a broken jaw when a glitch caused the wheels on his scooter to lock up mid-ride, and another woman fractured her neck and lost a tooth.
Council chief operating officer Dean Kimpton yesterday said the suspension was being lifted on the basis the company would operate within new guidelines set by council.
"They are committed to improving how they are working with us," he said.
Lime will be required to report "serious safety incidents" anywhere in the world to officials within 48 hours.
Mechanical inspections will also be done on every scooter at least once a week.
But North Shore Ward councillor Chris Darby this afternoon said Lime would not be re-launching its fleet until the middle of next week.
"Although, passing all the independent tests required of them Lime is double and triple checking hardware, firmware and software, as they recognise safety is paramount.
"Lime will be letting council know ahead of re-launching," he said.
A message on Lime's mobile app thanked Aucklanders for their support - the company launched a PR campaign last week, emailing users and contacting customers through the app asking them to "share their support" for scooters with Mayor Phil Goff.
The current pop-up message appearing in Lime's app said the fleet would be redeployed "soon".
"Hang tight if you can't find a Lime yet," it said.
Two updates had been implemented into the scooters' software since their operating licence in Auckland was suspended.
Lime had assured the council updates would prevent the glitch that had caused the scooters' wheels to lock.
The wheel-locking malfunction led to 155 reported incidents - 92 of which were in Auckland, and of those 30 resulted in injury, Lime said.
The council told Lime it was not good enough that council officials had learnt about serious incidents via media, not from the company.
"We expect to be told when these issues occur," Kimpton said.
Liam Thompson, 27, broke his jaw when he went over the handlebars of a Lime scooter. Photos / Supplied
The renewed trial period allowing Lime scooters back on the streets will run until March 31.
Around 2000 e-scooters are now being stored in at Lime's Kingsland warehouse - 1000 allowed under its trial licence and another 1000 it was holding in reserve in case the scope of its trial was expanded before its expiry on March 31.
Dunedin City Council, which had followed suit on Auckland Council's temporary ban, also received a report from Lime on Thursday.
Dunedin Council was likewise expected to make an announcement on the future of Lime, in coming days.
Dunedin Council community services general manager Simon Pickford said "on the face of it, from a technical point of view", the issue seemed to have been fixed.
The report was a positive step, he said.
"I think Lime are all ready to go. Obviously if they get the sign-off tomorrow they could be back on the streets tomorrow or over the weekend."
Meanwhile, in Christchurch, the city's Lime e-scooter fleet is set to expand by 300 to 1000 after a decision reached at a city council meeting yesterday.
