New Lime e-scooter trial helps Tauranga city 'move into 21st century'

Tauranga City will soon be painted green with a unanimous decision to trial the e-scooter company Lime. Launching first in Auckland and Christchurch back in 2018, Tauranga is the next city on the cards to receive the scooter in a year-long trial.

Lime, which operates in several other New Zealand cities, says the trial is likely to start by the end of this month.

The appeal of Limes e-scooters comes with its versatile system allowing practically anyone with a smartphone to take a ride on a Lime Scooter. Riders use an app to find a scooter near them and unlock it. They are charged per minute of use and when they are done, they generally just leave it where their trip ended. The scooter cant be ditched in parks, reserves, bridges and overpasses.

Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell said he was very excited about the trial and it would help "Tauranga move into the 21st century".

The scooters, which have a top speed of around 25km/h, will be banned from the Mauao trails, cemeteries and all unsealed pathways in council parks and reserves but can otherwise be used within the city limits. There will also be a speed cap in the main city areas with The Mount Maunganui and Tauranga CBDs being low-speed zones with a 15km/h limit and will have an earlier curfew of 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights. The same speed limit will apply in the Greerton Village business district.

Lime will provide the council with data about how the scooters are being used and surveys and feedback forms will be used to gather public feedback on the trial.