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E-scooters are proving popular in Canberra, adopted by young people keen for a joyride to public servants shaking up their morning commute. However, some wandering scooters have found their way to unexpected places. Submerged in waterways, missing batteries, and stranded on roundabouts; are e-scooters in predicaments becoming a new Canberra icon? One such unfortunate scooter was spotted in Sullivans Creek, Lyneham, on Monday. The orange Neuron vehicle sunk deep into the waterway with the handles barely visible on the surface. Both Canberra e-scooter providers, Neuron Mobility and Beam, asserted that vandalism and dumping were rare. A Neuron Mobility spokesperson said there were only a “few isolated cases where e-scooters have ended up in Canberra’s waterways”. The company did not say how many of their scooters had been dumped in the territory. “Cases of vandalism are rare,” the spokesperson said. “We have teams working around the clock, cleaning, safety checking and moving e-scooters to where they are needed most. “If e-scooters are vandalised they are immediately remotely locked before being retrieved to the warehouse for evaluation and repair.” In December 2020, at least 10 Neuron scooters were found vandalised near Aspen Island. A photo of the damaged scooters suggested vandals stole batteries. Meanwhile, Beam vice president of corporate affairs Christopher Hilton said it was “extremely rare for a Beam e-scooter to end up in Sully Creek”. Mr Hilton said Beam used a variety of methods to retrieve sunken scooters, but in most instances, employees were usually able to get the scooter out of its predicament in a “safe and efficient manner”. Read more: He also said scooter components were waterproofed as a safeguard against any permanent damage. “As a precaution, any e-scooter that is submerged is separated from our operational fleet and undergoes a full diagnostic review, as well as a test ride before it is returned to circulation,” he said. Mr Hilton encouraged Canberrans to contact Beam’s hotline if they found any of their dumped scooters. Neuron Mobility and Beam have measures in place in an attempt to avoid roundabout hi jinks, and discarded scooters. Both apps use geofences to establish no-ride and no-parking zones. The apps also charge users small fee if they park the vehicle outside of designated spaces. Yet it seems those fees are only a small price to pay for a bit of tomfoolery. A Neuron spokesperson said they were a safety-focused company and they had measures in place to educate their riders about the appropriate use of their scooters. “All of our riders sign up to a comprehensive list of riding rules before they are allowed to take their first trip,” Neuron said. “The rules are clear when it comes to not riding under the influence of alcohol, and of course [riders] get guidance on where and how to park and ride.”
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E-scooters are proving popular in Canberra, adopted by young people keen for a joyride to public servants shaking up their morning commute.
However, some wandering scooters have found their way to unexpected places.
Submerged in waterways, missing batteries, and stranded on roundabouts; are e-scooters in predicaments becoming a new Canberra icon?
One such unfortunate scooter was spotted in Sullivans Creek, Lyneham, on Monday.
The orange Neuron vehicle sunk deep into the waterway with the handles barely visible on the surface.
Both Canberra e-scooter providers, Neuron Mobility and Beam, asserted that vandalism and dumping were rare.
A Neuron Mobility spokesperson said there were only a “few isolated cases where e-scooters have ended up in Canberra’s waterways”.
The company did not say how many of their scooters had been dumped in the territory.
“Cases of vandalism are rare,” the spokesperson said.
“We have teams working around the clock, cleaning, safety checking and moving e-scooters to where they are needed most.
“If e-scooters are vandalised they are immediately remotely locked before being retrieved to the warehouse for evaluation and repair.”
In December 2020, at least 10 Neuron scooters were found vandalised near Aspen Island. A photo of the damaged scooters suggested vandals stole batteries.
Meanwhile, Beam vice president of corporate affairs Christopher Hilton said it was “extremely rare for a Beam e-scooter to end up in Sully Creek”.
Mr Hilton said Beam used a variety of methods to retrieve sunken scooters, but in most instances, employees were usually able to get the scooter out of its predicament in a “safe and efficient manner”.
He also said scooter components were waterproofed as a safeguard against any permanent damage.
“As a precaution, any e-scooter that is submerged is separated from our operational fleet and undergoes a full diagnostic review, as well as a test ride before it is returned to circulation,” he said.
Mr Hilton encouraged Canberrans to contact Beam’s hotline if they found any of their dumped scooters.
Neuron Mobility and Beam have measures in place in an attempt to avoid roundabout hi jinks, and discarded scooters.
Both apps use geofences to establish no-ride and no-parking zones.
The apps also charge users small fee if they park the vehicle outside of designated spaces. Yet it seems those fees are only a small price to pay for a bit of tomfoolery.
A Neuron spokesperson said they were a safety-focused company and they had measures in place to educate their riders about the appropriate use of their scooters.
“All of our riders sign up to a comprehensive list of riding rules before they are allowed to take their first trip,” Neuron said.
“The rules are clear when it comes to not riding under the influence of alcohol, and of course [riders] get guidance on where and how to park and ride.”
