Beaming into Christchurch

Christchurch e-scooter riders will soon have a new choice of provider when micro-mobility company Beam lands in mid-June.

Beam is expanding its operations and making Christchurch its first launch site in New Zealand, with plans to expand its fleet to other cities throughout the year. Beam was successful in April when it was awarded a permit to operate in Christchurch’s sister city of Adelaide in South Australia, after Australia’s first competitive tender process for e-scooters.

Beam says that Christchurch e-scooter riders will experience a difference from other providers that extends beyond a different scooter.

Beam Head of Public Affairs Brad Kitschke said “Beam values its relationships with cities and the community, prioritises safety and sees itself as a responsible partner.”

“We prioritise working with cities to solve their problems and we promote safety, not just for e-scooter users but for everyone. Our fleet, our technology, and the way we operate will clearly demonstrate our commitment to improving the Christchurch moves,” Mr Kitschke said.

A safer ride
Beam deploys a custom Segway Ninebot Sharing e-scooter that features a dual braking system- a front electric brake and a back foot-brake that provides increased reliability and control.

Speed control
The normal operating speed of Beam e-scooters will be 15 kmph. Speed reduction zones can also be set on advice by Council and Beam accomplishes this with gradual acceleration and deceleration, with no jerky movements.

Helmets
Helmets will be located on every e-scooter for those who wish to use them. We believe that every e-scooter ride is made safer by ensuring the rider has access to a helmet. If a helmet is not available on the scooter we will work with Council and local businesses to have helmets available for riders to collect.

Preferred parking Bays & Rider incentives
Beam will seek permission from the Christchurch City Council to introduce a limited number of e-scooter parking bays on a trial basis. Beam will also activate its preferred parking technology, a feature which was invented by the company.

Beam will work with Christchurch City Council to mark out limited and specific areas it wants designating for e-scooter pick-up and drop-off to decrease clutter and keep the streets clear.

Beam will also activate its preferred parking technology that will send reminder messages to users on the benefits of preferred parking bays and directing them to specific locations when applicable.

When a user ends their beam trip within a certain radius of a designated preferred parking bay they will receive an sms suggesting they move the scooter a short distance (say 20m) to the designated parking bay. Beam will further incentivise this by adding a base fee in credits to the accounts of users who stow the scooters in the designated bays, making subsequent rides cheaper.

Contributing to the local economy
Beam “Chargers” will be engaged to assist with collection, charging and repositioning of scooters creating flexible economic opportunities for locals. Those interested in becoming a charger can visit https://got.work/beam/92ab1395.

Paying our fair share
Beam Mobility New Zealand Ltd is a locally domiciled company and all revenue will be booked against the local entity and corporate tax paid on all revenue collected in New Zealand.

The Christchurch City Council has given permission for Beam to deploy 300 e-scooters with a launch timed for mid-June. Beam believes that riders and the community will value the introduction of a new provider with an alternative approach.

“We think that Christchurch e-scooter riders will come to enjoy Beam and will immediately experience the difference in our service. We think the Christchurch community will recognise that our focus on safety and city amenity means a better experience for everyone. Mr Kitschke concluded.

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