Beam Mobility wins two-year contract to operate e-scooters in City of Stirling

E-scooter enthusiasts may soon be able to ride up and down the coast after Beam Mobility won a two-year tender to hire out e-scooters in the City of Stirling.

The city determined Beam’s proposal provided the lowest cost and best value to users, as well as the highest return to the city through an annually-renewed permit to operate.

It was also judged to have extensive experience in managing rider behaviour.

Beam will offer seated and stand-up e-scooters for those with mobility issues and people living with disability from late January.

The company is also being considered for a trial in the Town of Cambridge.

Beam’s appointment comes after a two-year trial of an e-scooter hire program run by Neuron Mobility.

Research by Neuron Mobility found 64 per cent of rides in the City of Stirling resulted in an average spend of $65 per rider.

“Our e-scooter trial has encouraged reduced reliance on cars in Scarborough while also enhancing tourism and economic development along the coast, with more than 290,000 trips travelled by 95,000 users for an average distance of 2.7km per trip,” mayor Mark Irwin said.

“We’re excited that the community can enjoy our stunning city and coastline by e-scooter through this new partnership with Beam.

“Beam operates e-bikes, e-scooters and e-mopeds in more than 60 cities across Asia-Pacific and have racked up 26 million kilometres of travel in Australia and New Zealand since 2019.

“As well as operating in the City of Perth’s two-year trial, Beam operates across WA in Rockingham, Bunbury, Geraldton, Denmark, Albany, Esperance, Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Broome.”

Mr Irwin said the city wanted to ensure speed limits would be managed, hours of operation were regulated and use restricted in some areas.

He said Beam offered all these at a lower cost and thanked Neuron Mobility for its work in the two-year trial.

“We are working with both providers to deliver a smooth transition to achieve continuity of service,” Mr Irwin said.

Beam general manager (ANZ) Tom Cooper said the city was an ideal place for it to introduce new technology and vehicles such as its seated e-scooters.

“We are committed to forming partnerships with local community members and organisations and engaging in discussions around the safe operation of e-scooters to ensure the safety of riders, pedestrians and other road users,” he said.

Scooter hirers may soon be able to zoom up and down the coast, with the neighbouring Town of Cambridge looking at using Beam for a year-long e-scooter hire trial.

Cambridge council was expected to lock in a decision just before Christmas, but the item was taken off the agenda at the last minute. It’s understood the matter will be finalised at the council’s first official meeting of 2024 in February.

However, a report made public ahead of the meeting confirmed Beam was the preferred option of council staff as it would line up with Stirling and enable riders to scoot uninterrupted from Watermans Bay to City Beach along the coast.