Overview
By now it's highly likely that you've ridden, or at least heard about, the dockless electric scooters taking over the footpaths around Auckland. US-born company Lime was the first to unleash its motorised e-scooters on the streets, while Brisbane-registered company Wave was granted a licence to operate 500 two-wheelers from March.
Now, after landing in Wellington in June, local startup Flamingo is adding its fleet of florescent pink e-scooters to the mix in Auckland. It will operate as the only New Zealand-owned company, and one of three companies, who were chosen by Auckland City Council to provide e-scooter services in Auckland.
Local entrepreneurs Nick Hyland and Jacksen Love created Flamingo to ease congestion on roads and help Kiwis get around their respective cities. The company is committed to the safety of riders; users will need to complete in-app training before they can use a scooter for the first time and will be offered a free helmet, which can be ordered through the app.
The Segway-Ninebot fleet of e-scooters also utilises special technology to create low-speed zones and restrict riders from riding and parking in designated areas. In the same format as Lime and Wave, Flamingo's e-scooters are unlocked by scanning a QR code on the handlebar. They cost $1 to unlock and 30 cents per minute to ride.
The dockless electric scooter service officially launches on Tuesday, July 30. To celebrate the launch, Flamingo is offering Auckland riders free unlocks for the first month.