E-scooter safety top priority as Geraldton trial kicks into gear

The company behind Geraldton’s e-scooter hire trial, which launches on Friday, has warned people who repeatedly abuse the service could be banned under a “three-strikes policy”. Beam says it wants to send a clear message that safety is its top priority in this Geraldton venture, which has 300 purple e-scooters for hire. The safety features aimed at protecting riders and pedestrians include a GPS navigation system it calls “geofencing” which lets Beam designate certain areas where the scooters automatically slow down, or areas where the scooters cannot enter at all. Beam also said it has a “three-strike policy”, designed to deal with riders who do the wrong thing through financial penalties and suspensions. Each rider will have their own QR code, allowing Beam to know who is using the e-scooters at any time, letting them and police track down bad riders. The e-scooters also have triple braking, a double kick-stand for anti-tipping and to prevent tipping and a warning bell. Accompanying the launch will be Beam’s “Safety Academy” on Saturday, beginning at 10.30am at Rocks Laneway. Beam’s WA operations lead Stuart O’Callaghan said the event was part of Beam’s commitment to encouraging the safe use of their e-scooters. The session will include obstacle courses, quizzes, and information on scooter safety and regulations. Mayor of Greater Geraldton Shane Van Styn said he feels confident Beam will deliver on their promise for a safe and effective program. “It really does fill us with confidence that this is going to be a very well managed operation, and people should enjoy the fact that they are dealing with a reputable company,” he said. An electric scooter enthusiast himself, Mr Van Styn said he was impressed with the quality of Beam’s scooters. “These are a very robust, well-built piece of equipment, that will provide a much safer, much smoother ride than mine,” he said. Users can access a scooter via Beam’s app on the App Store and Google Play. The e-scooters cost $1 to unlock and $0.49 per minute onwards.