An online survey started yesterday to help gauge how Wellingtonians feel about the public share e-scooter schemes that have been operating in the city since June 2019.
The results following the first six months of the 18-month trial will form part of the evaluation of the e-scooter hire schemes (operated by Jump and Flamingo) agreed by Wellington City Councillors.
The e-scooter trial is designed to test demand, see how e-scooters work in Wellington, and gauge rider behaviour here.
Deputy Mayor Sarah Free hopes as many people as possible will take the time to complete the survey.
“We want to hear from those who love them, those who definitely don’t – and everyone in between.
“Six months into the trial, we’re keen to know how people who have used the scooters find them, more about the trips people are taking on them, and how it has been for others sharing roads and footpaths with them,” she says.
“Among other things, we also want to gauge whether people see the share scooters as mainly negative or positive for the city, and whether they think schemes like this should continue here.
“We’re beginning the survey now as we are coming to the end of the first six months of the trial, but will keep it open through until 5pm on Sunday 2 February as we know it is a busy time of year.”
If doing a survey online isn’t an option, people can phone 04 499 4444 or email transport@wcc.govt.nz and arrangements will be made for them to do it in another way.
As well as making the survey available to anyone who wants to complete it, it will go to the the Council’s Capital Views panel, a research group which is designed to be as demographically representative of Wellingtonians as possible.
Panel members were surveyed a month after the trial began, so those initial impressions will look at how people feel five months on.
The survey is just one of the ways the Council is gathering information that will be considered as part of the six-month evaluation.
It will also:
request and consider injury data from ACC for the six-month period, as well as corresponding data for Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin
take into account feedback we’ve had from accessibility groups and organisations including the Council’s Accessibility Advisory Group
consider information received from the two operators
consider information and feedback from the public, groups and organisations received via our contact centre and in other ways over the past six months.
Key findings, and any recommendations following the evaluation work, will go to Councillors for their consideration early in the new year – most likely March 2020.
At that time, Councillors will consider whether e-scooters are a good fit for Wellington, if they want them to continue, and if they do, whether there should be any changes made for the remainder of the licence period.
In the meantime, unless there are any major issues with the vehicles or severe breaches of their code of practice, Jump and Flamingo e-scooters will continue to be on streets in line with their licence conditions.
If Councillors decide next year that they want the trial to continue, and believe public share schemes have a future in Wellington, a draft micro-mobility policy will be developed during 2020 to guide public hire e-scooter and bike schemes, and other future forms of micro transport.
Licences to trade in public places were granted in June to two companies – locally-owned start-up company Flamingo, and Jump, which is owned and operated by Uber.
The two companies were selected following an evaluation of all of the five operators who submitted proposals. The selection process included an independent evaluator.
Jump and Flamingo were each permitted to have up to 400 e-scooters available for hire around the city and suburbs (800 in total).
Ends