Lime and Wave e-scooters dumped from Auckland

Lime and Wave electric scooters are no longer allowed to operate in Auckland while four other brands gain new licences.

The Lime and Wave scooters must be deactivated by midnight on December 2 and removed from the streets by December 6.

Beam, Flamingo, Jump and Neuron are the four receiving licences from December 3 for the next six months, Stuff reports.

Those operators have stronger safety aspects and mitigating nuisance factors, Auckland Council regulatory services director Craig Hobbs says, adding the Lime application didn’t come up to the standard of the four selected.

Lime hit the headlines on a number of occasions because of faults and incidents.

The successful four agreed not to have their scooters operating between 1am and 6am and are expected to meet other conditions.

Lime says it’s “disappointed” to learn of the decision but will use its Auckland experience to support other centres.

Wave e-scooters gained a licence in Auckland in October 2018 to operate about 1000 scooters.

The NZ Transport Agency is expected to provide new e-scooter regulations next year covering speed, helmet wearing and areas in which the scooters can be used.