By Michelle Giglio
E-bikes for hire have arrived with plans to expand
After three years of research, global shared micromobility company Lime has launched its e-bikes for hire in Manly, hoping the location will prove popular for locals and tourists.
But forget about hooning down the Corso, for that is strictly off-limits.
Lime head of APAC Will Peters told PL the company, which already operates in several locations in Sydney, had chosen Manly as a new site due to the existing high use of e-bike ownership and usage.
“The Northern Beaches is so outdoorsy and you’ve got a lot of areas which are served by those 1km to 2km trips that people take,” Mr Peters said. “And there’s still a lot of usage of cars (and) Uber and it’s a great opportunity for someone to use an e-bike.”
The bikes are also available in Fairlight, Balgowlah, Manly Vale and Queenscliff, with lock out zones of certain areas strictly controlled by the most up-to-date Lime app technology.
The Corso is off-limits, and ‘geogencing’ built into the app ensures riders cannot ride beyond the designated map. The app will direct users to parking areas known as blue zones in busy areas, such as crowded beaches, and slow the e-bike down in ‘low speed’ zones.
“The bike will not allow you to end a trip if you’re not at a designated parking zone in that blue zone, and it’s a means of us making sure that in the busy areas, especially surf clubs, we can manage that appropriately,” Mr Peters explained.
The speed limit is 25km/hr, the same as private e-bikes. The State Government is trying to combat the trend of private users who tamper with speed controls to make their bikes go faster, introducing a ‘seize and crush’ mandate earlier this year. Mr Peters was careful to point out that those e-bikes were ‘illegal motorbikes and we’re very supportive of that crackdown.’
“There’s a big distinction. Every single Lime ride is fully insured, including with third-party insurance (TPI). (Private) e-bikes actually aren’t covered under TPI.”
Users must be 16 or over, and can ride on the road or shared paths. “We also can put slow zones in the app… and there are ‘no parking’ zones where you can’t actually end your ride, which are all tools that we can use to make sure that we limit any anti-social behaviour.
“The proliferation of illegal motorbikes continues, and by encouraging people onto a shared scheme which is controlled, regulated (and) insured, there’s a much better outcome for the community.”
Lime first launched in Sydney back in 2017, and some councils like Willoughby initially objected due to bikes left stranded across footpaths, blocking pedestrian access.
“It’s a valid concern of how the industry has evolved from many years ago,” Mr Peters said. “The technology that we bring is very different.
“In terms of in those designated parking areas, we need to make sure that the right of way is kept clear. And that’s why we put in those ‘no parking’ zones. As you go into the suburbs, we want to make sure it is as flexible as possible for residents.”
Mr Peters said that if a street was not particularly wide, Lime could put in a ‘bespoke’ parking area which avoided e-bike ‘dumping’ across driveways.
“The rollout is very controlled. We’re looking at how people are using the devices. We’ll keep refining that map, working with all stakeholders, whether it’s council or the surf clubs.”
As for council’s view, PL received this reply: “Council supports cycling as a sustainable and convenient way to get around but we are not involved in this share scheme (emphasis supplied).”
Mr Peters encouraged anyone who wanted to report a ‘dumped’ bike to email the Australian-based contact centre, which was staffed 24/7.
Lime has plans to make the e-bikes available further up the Northern Beaches. “We know there’s lots of demand in terms of people wanting to use it. And we really did want to make sure that we launch very carefully in the initial few weeks, and then we’ll keep expanding as the data comes through.”
As for whether you can take a surfboard on a Lime e-bike, Mr Peters laughed and said ‘not for the moment.’
Let’s see how the locals use them.