Lets Talk About e-Scooters

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Consultation has concluded

We've approved a six-month trial of e-scooters in the Waimakariri District. From November 2021 until April 2022, up to 400 Flamingo e-scooters will be available for hire across Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend and Pegasus.

It's hoped that this trial will help the Council collect usage data and take a proactive, well-planned approach in managing any impact of this technology on public spaces. Similar trials have been successfully held in other Districts elsewhere in the country, including Selwyn with over 22,000 e-scooter trips taken during their trial.

We've already discussed the trial with local accessibility, youth and older person groups. Some of their concerns and feedback have been incorporated into the trial with the inclusion of speed restrictions and no-go zones in our busiest pedestrian areas.

Flamingo Scooters are responsible for covering the infrastructure and operational costs. If you have any problems with the service or want to report an incident with an e-scooter, please contact Flamingo Scooters at hello@flamingoscooters.com or phone 0800 FLAMINGO

The trial is now in its fourth month and we’re keen to hear from the community as to how they think the trial is progressing.

We’d love to hear your thoughts so encourage you to complete our short survey via the link below.

Community feedback will be included in the trial report that will be brought back to the Community Boards and Council for a decision on the future of commercial e-scooters in the District in April 2022.

We've approved a six-month trial of e-scooters in the Waimakariri District. From November 2021 until April 2022, up to 400 Flamingo e-scooters will be available for hire across Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend and Pegasus.

It's hoped that this trial will help the Council collect usage data and take a proactive, well-planned approach in managing any impact of this technology on public spaces. Similar trials have been successfully held in other Districts elsewhere in the country, including Selwyn with over 22,000 e-scooter trips taken during their trial.

We've already discussed the trial with local accessibility, youth and older person groups. Some of their concerns and feedback have been incorporated into the trial with the inclusion of speed restrictions and no-go zones in our busiest pedestrian areas.

Flamingo Scooters are responsible for covering the infrastructure and operational costs. If you have any problems with the service or want to report an incident with an e-scooter, please contact Flamingo Scooters at hello@flamingoscooters.com or phone 0800 FLAMINGO

The trial is now in its fourth month and we’re keen to hear from the community as to how they think the trial is progressing.

We’d love to hear your thoughts so encourage you to complete our short survey via the link below.

Community feedback will be included in the trial report that will be brought back to the Community Boards and Council for a decision on the future of commercial e-scooters in the District in April 2022.

Consultation has concluded

If you have any questions or feedback about the e-scooter trial, please leave them below and our staff will respond as soon as they can.

If you have any problem with hiring or riding a Flamingo e-scooter, please contact Flamingo Scooters at hello@flamingoscooters.com or phone 0800 FLAMINGO

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    Great addition to our community. Absolutely a few Idiots who have ruined it by dumping/ignorance. Lack or regard for anyone else. However overall I think they’ve been great especially given the rise in petrol these days. Limited zones etc appropriately. So other than damage occurred to them and ignorant riders (minority) they’re wonderful and would love them to stay around.

    Danyb asked about 2 years ago

    Hi there

    Thanks for your feedback, we will your comments into consideration in the final trial report that goes to Council on 5 April.  

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    The use of e-scooters encourages anti-social Behavior: 1. Careless parking - dumped in driveways, blocked footpaths, for pedestrians, blocked access for waste collection, also dumped in private gardens 2. Provides fast getaway from "crime" scenes. eg. Low hanging branch damage to berm planted trees in Hakatere St, Pegasus also in Franklin St, outside Ballarat Village. 3..Use e-scooters on the footpath makes footpaths unsafe for hard of hearing pedestrians and for those who have limited agility to quickly get out the way of a rapidly approaching scooter, mobility or e-scooter (There is an elderly male resident in Good St, Rangiora who rides a mobility scooter on the footpath like testosterone fueled teenager) 4. Neither mobility nor e-scooters appear to have a warning device to alert unsuspecting pedestrians of the imminent approach of a scooter. 5. There has been a noticeable rise in the number of scooter and bicycle "borrowings" and then being dumped kilometers way from where they were "borrowed". Is this related to the ease of accessible e-scooters? 6. Rate payer investment in berm planted trees is in jeopardy from young males (aged 9 to 12) who see low hanging branches as a challenge to swing on and snap off. This writer witnessed two boys attempt this near the radio boat site Pegasus Lake. They were yelled at and they stopped. They then went to a man who was operating a radio boat. All three looked our way and after they talked the two boys rode away(on bicycles). We saw them go to Waituna Street, opposite Lake Pizza, where one of them lives. This sort of anti-social behavior, if left unchecked, could lead to worse offending. 7. The age limit on e-scooter usage is ridiculous. There are more under 18 year olds on e-scooters than those over 18. Who polices usage? 18year olds+ users tend to be more aggressive in their speeding and those are a real danger to pedestrians when they use the footpath. The footpath should be a sanctuary where pedestrians feel safe. 8. Helmets are required for cycle riders. Why is it that very few e-scooters do not wear helmets? Recommendations to Council: Get rid of (Pink Flamingo) E-Scooters Tighten the rules concerning mobility scooter usage Visit Pegasus School and Ashgrove School and talk to the Principal about tree swinging and branch snapping damage to Council property. Police Youth Aid Officers may well be interested.

    Robert4 asked about 2 years ago

    Hi there

    Thanks for your comprehensive feedback about scooters, we will take this into consideration in the final trial report that goes to Council on 5 April.  

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    I personally think they are an accident waiting to happen. I’ve seen so many people on them going waaay too fast past young kids and underage kids riding them. I see far more negatives than positives.

    Sarah82 asked about 2 years ago

    Hi there Sarah

    Thanks for your feedback, we will take this into consideration in the final trial report that goes to Council on 5 April.

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    How much of the ratepayers' money is the Waimakariri District Council spending on the E scooters? Thanks Gerard

    Ruben asked about 2 years ago

    Hi there Gerard

    Council has not contributed anything financially to the operational costs of running the trial, all day to day running costs are incurred by Flamingo Scooters. To date, Council’s spend has been very little on some initial pre-trial advertising, and throughout the trial, some ground/surface related maintenance costs. The full details of Council’s contribution will be included in the final trial report to Council.

    Thanks for your feedback

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    Very disappointing to see the limited area serviced by these scooters. We have no public transport in Sefton, and these would have been a step towards integrating our community with the big smoke of Rangiora

    Jdcorr918 asked over 2 years ago

    Thanks for your comment, for the initial trial, the service areas have been contained to Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend and Pegasus, including the Passchendaele Memorial Cycle Path and the Rangiora-Woodend Cycle Path. This is so the Council and Flamingo Scooters can easily monitor and respond to any issues as they arise during the six month trial.

    We also wanted to keep the scooters primarily in the "town zones" where speed restrictions on key roads are more appropriate for e-scooter use (should some users opt to ride them on the roads rather than the footpath, which is currently legal in New Zealand). An exception was made for the Rangiora-Woodend cycle path as this particular lengthy stretch of road (80km/h zone) has a dedicated off-road cycle path, and the e-scooters have been restricted to that path. 

    Following the six month trial, we will review usage data with Flamingo Scooters and take a report back to elected members for their review. Should there be a desire to continue with commercial hire e-scooters in the district, then the Council may look to extend service areas, but we'd need to carefully consider whether the area is appropriate and safe for riders. Any new areas would also have to be accepted by commercial e-scooter share operator(s) in terms of commercial viability.

    service areas,complaint
    service areas complaint
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    I hope the council is recording the comments on their Facebook page posts regarding this trial. Complaints of scooters dumped in Pegasus Lake, in gardens and on footpaths blocking access for other users. Also being used by under 18s and a terrible accident waiting to happen. These scooters are not suitable for small country towns and are a bad idea in our district.

    Local Lass asked over 2 years ago

    Thanks for getting in touch, we will be keeping a record of feedback received during the trial including on our Facebook page. It will be considered by the Council alongside other data we collect at the conclusion of the trial. Flamingo Scooters are also keen to address any problems as they arise, so if you do see any misuse of the scooters, please take note of the time and location, and contact 0800 FLAMINGO.

    complaint
    complaint