Two Hobart City Councillors are demanding the immediate removal of Beam e-scooters following allegations that the company “concocted a scheme” to evade council fees.
Marti Zucco and Louise Elliot say issues with the purple e-scooters have been ongoing since the company first “dumped” hundreds on footpaths in 2021.
“I constantly see people riding without helmets, they create serious hazards for pedestrians and now the company is embroiled in a fraud scandal,” Zucco said.
“Other cities, including Melbourne and Auckland, have already taken action and our community deserves action too.”
In Auckland, New Zealand, the council ordered Beam to deactivate its scooters after discovering the company had exceeded the permitted number of e-scooters and provided misleading data to conceal it.
Elliot believes the evidence points to “planned and intended” deception by Beam, warranting an immediate and permanent ban.
“Hobart City Council must cease doing business with a company like that,” she said.
“If we’re going to be cluttering our streets with hazards, the benefits must outweigh the risks and I don’t think that’s the case.”
“I’ve seen too many photos of X-rays where locals have had their ankles and collarbones screwed back together and now there is zero trust in the provider.”
Both councillors support privately-owned e-scooters, arguing they are less likely to be abandoned and their owners tend to ride safer.
Beam expressed disappointment with the Auckland licence cancellation and stated it was working to appoint an independent auditor.
They have also rejected claims any deployments over their permitted allowances were intentional.
Hobart City Council CEO Michael Stretton said their investigations have “have not identified any anomalies” since Beam was made the city’s sole operator in May.
“We will continue to monitor hire-and-ride operations closely to ensure community safety and compliance with all commercial obligations,” he said.
