Beam scooters break QLDC 'private land' rule

A worker whose job has him cruising the central streets of Queenstown has made it a habit to capture photos of Beam scooters parked where they shouldn't be.

He is routinely seeing the scooters, available for hire, left in public spaces, despite a deal with the Queenstown Lakes District Council that the company keep them to be parked on private land.

"I'm getting annoyed with Beam scooters being placed obstructing footpaths for days and days in the same spot," the driver says.

More of Beam's scooters for hire obstructing footpaths.

He has reported problem scooters to the council via its 'Snap, Send, Solve' mobile app, but when he has done so he has received back what appears to be an automated response from Beam itself.

The message asks the sender to contact Beam directly to report any problems.

Beam has come under fire this week as it was revealed it had been breaking rules set by the local council regarding maximum scooter numbers and then lying about it.

As a result, the Auckland Council has cancelled Beam's operating licence, directing it to remove all scooters from the city's streets by Friday evening.

In Queenstown, however, it is business as usual for Beam, where it appears the council is happy to continue with a high-trust model despite the company's misbehaviour further north.

A spokesperson for the Queenstown Lakes District Council says the council has "a good relationship with Beam", and there have been no compliance issues here to date.

"There was one instance when scooters were parked on a public footpath following construction work but Beam removed them soon after we raised this with its staff," the spokesperson says.

So, how is the council ensuring the company is complying with conditions of a deal for a two-year trial of the hire scooters in Queenstown?

The council spokesperson says staff hold monthly meetings with Beam where usage reports are presented, and these show the company is not exceeding its 400 scooter cap here - in fact, the reports show Beam is only operating 150 scooters.

"It’s worth noting that Beam has committed to the two-year trial, including only using private land for parking, on the understanding that to breach terms set out in the memorandum of understanding would severely impact its ability to be permitted any potential use of public land in the future.

"Beam has increased staff numbers in Queenstown so that it’s able to respond quickly to scooters left in wrong places by the public, and to keep its parking spaces tidy."

The spokesperson says the council has not received any requests for service from members of the public regarding Beam scooters, but any queries or potential issues noted by council staff are discussed on an "ad hoc basis" as they arise, rather than being held for the monthly catch-ups.

When launching its operations in Queenstown, Beam said in a media statement it would be "using technology and GPS to direct riders to appropriate parking spots" and riders would "not be able to end their trip outside of a parking spot".

The council receives no money from the company, as its operating model means all scooters should only be parked on private property.

In Auckland, the council has reported it has lost "trust and confidence" in Beam after discovering the company had been fudging reports provided to the council, which a whistleblower then tipped the council off to.

The council has referred the matter to police.

A spokesperson for Beam says the company has apologised to the Auckland Council.

"This is obviously a disappointing outcome for both Beam, our team and our local customers."

The company is appointing an independent external auditor to examine the issues.

Main image: Beam's scooters for hire obstructing footpaths in Queenstown.