No tracking of numbers of badly parked Beam scooters

No one is keeping track of how many Beam e-scooters end up dumped in public spaces in Queenstown, despite an expectation the hire vehicles are only parked on private property.

In recent days Crux has received close to a dozen images of Beam's scooters parked encroaching on footpaths and roads - all of the photos from just one person, whose job has them driving around town throughout the day.

A spokesperson from Beam, which operates in Queenstown under a memorandum of understanding with the Queenstown Lakes District Council, says it is not  keeping data on how often scooters are needing to be collected and returned to designated parking spots.

(Images: Supplied)

However, "the vast majority of trips end with the e-scooter compliantly parked", the spokesperson says, and "we respond to the vast majority of requests to relocate e-scooters within 24 hours".

Beam is unable to provide details of how many staff are employed locally.

"We cannot give a definitive number of staff, as this changes with seasonality and rider demand," the company spokesperson says.

However late last week, a spokesperson for the council told Crux Beam had increased staff numbers in Queenstown in order to respond quickly to scooters left in wrong places by hirers and to keep its parking spaces tidy.

Beam is more than halfway through a two-year trial in Queenstown, after reaching an agreement with the council that allows its scooters to be available for hire from parking spots located within the property boundaries of partner businesses.

The company has come under fire elsewhere in the country after it was revealed it was breaking its rules of operation by having more scooters on streets than deals with other local authorities allowed for.

In Auckland, an investigation by the council has revealed the company provided false information to cover up its oversized fleet. There, and in Wellington, the company has been instructed to remove its scooters from streets.

However the Queenstown Council has no plans to follow suit.

A council spokesperson indicated in a response to enquires from Crux that Beam is effectively incentivised to self-police here by the nature of the two-year trial - misbehave and the company may not have a role to play in the town in the future as the council reassesses micro mobility solutions.

They say the company has monthly meetings with council staff, where they report on operations.

The Beam spokesperson says all of its 140 scooters on the ground in Queenstown are GPS tracked and hirers are required to park at the designated parking spots only.

"Should an e-scooter be abandoned by a rider outside of a parking spot, they are charged a penalty, and a Beam marshal is dispatched to relocate the e-scooter back to a designated parking spot."

The company receives complaints of bad parking via its own website and app as well as via the council's own Snap, Send, Solve app.

A member of the public spoken to by Crux says they were surprised to receive a response from a Beam staff member after reporting to the council a scooter blocking a footpath in Frankton.

Beam would rather people contact them directly.

"To date, Beam has received and actioned 21 'Snap, Send, Solve' requests throughout our operations in Queenstown," the spokesperson says.

"We encourage community members who see a badly parked e-scooter or an e-scooter requiring relocating to report it via the 'Report a Beam' form on Beam's app or through Beam's website."

The Queenstown Lakes council receives no payment from Beam.