E-scooters ease tram shutdown
Announcement posted by Beam Mobility 18 Jul 2019
Media Release
E-scooters ease tram shutdown
E-scooters can help more with Government and Council permission
As Adelaide commuters are faced with a more challenging commute due to the tram shutdown currently underway, Beam has taken extra steps and invested resources and staff time to help support commuters find alternatives for their daily trips around the city.
Beam is staffing the tram stop at the intersection of South Terrace and King William Street where the tram terminates to provide information to city commuters and most importantly tourists and other visitors not aware of the current tram shut-down.
A branded member of the Beam team is on hand every morning from 7am-10am to advise tram passengers about the shutdown and to offer e-scooters as a possible alternative to get to their destination. Users are also being provided with a voucher giving them $5 worth of credit. The credit and extra help are being met with thanks by those unaware of the shut-down and visitors to the city who are able to take an e-scooter.
Beam’s Head of Operations Locky Cooper said that when the company was asked to help with the tram shut down it didn’t think twice.
“We are staffing the South Terrace tram stop and providing credit to new users to help them out. Having a staff member on-site that is easily recognisable has been met with a really positive response by tram commuters, especially those unfamiliar with the shut-down or people who are visiting. “Mr Cooper said.
Image demonstrating the increased demand for e-scooters at the South Terrace tram stop
“We are definitely seeing an increase in the use of e-scooters as a solution to the first and last mile of people’s city commute. E-scooters are a real transport solution to get from A to B and are an affordable and sustainable option in a city like Adelaide that is well planned and easy to navigate.“
“We want to give commuters an alternative during the shutdown and play our role in ensuring more cars are not added to the road during peak commuter time.“ Mr Cooper said.
New users.
Use the promo code, ADL5. This will give new users $5 in Beam credit to use at any time.
Existing users are also being rewarded.
For any trip that ends at the parking area at the intersection of King William St and South Terrace riders will have their $1 unlock fee returned as credit making it even more affordable to get around.
E-scooters can help more with Government and Council permission
Beam’s efforts to help city commuters use e-scooters for the last leg of their morning and afternoon commute are a clear demonstration of the benefits of shared-mobility.
In addition to its current support at the tram site, Beam has written to the State Government, the Adelaide City Council and the City of Charles Sturt with suggestions about how it can play a broader role in being a more effective transport solution for city commuters.
Short-Term increase in vehicle fleet size
Beam has asked the State Government and the Adelaide City Council to agree to a short-term increase in the size of its e-scooter fleet by 150 to ensure sufficient supply as a result of demand being driven by the shutdown.
Extension of the areas of operation
Beam has also submitted a proposal to the State Government, the Adelaide City Council and the City of Charles Sturt asking for permission to allow e-scooter usage along the tram-route to the Entertainment Centre in Hindmarsh.
Beam could amplify the advantages of the existing park and ride facility at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Hindmarsh which would allow commuters to park their cars and take an e-scooter along Port Road or via North Adelaide into the City.
South City Park and Ride and Parking Stations
Beam has requested that the Adelaide City Council and State Government establish a South Parklands e-scooter park and ride and says the tram works amplifies the need for this idea.
Beam’s Locky Cooper Said that the benefits being realised can be increased with the support of the Councils and Government.
“We have seen lots of people taking advantage of our parking incentives by stowing the scooters at the drop off point and receiving the credit. We want to work with the Adelaide City Council to install more parking areas and use our preferred parking incentive technology, a feature we invented because the Council asked for it during the tender process, Mr Cooper said.
“We would love to deploy e-scooters to North Adelaide and to the Entertainment Centre and to increase access to and from the city along those corridors. Using the existing park and ride at the Entertainment Centre and installing one at the South-end of the City for e-scooters absolute would deliver a significant benefit to commuters.“
“A short term-increase in the number of e-scooters we are allowed to deploy makes sense and would be beneficial to Adelaide commuters. It is only fair given how we have responded to the request to help out during the shut-down. Our message is, we are helping as much as we can and we want to do more,” Mr Cooper concluded.
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Brad Kitschke
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