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The University of Otago has recorded a handful of Lime scooter incidents since the start of the year. Photo: Gerard O'Brien
The University of Otago has recorded a handful of Lime scooter incidents since the start of the year. Photo: Gerard O'Brien
E-scooters are still creating a headache for staff at the University of Otago - who are calling for Lime scooters being ridden through the area to be disabled.

The scooters were taken off the streets of Dunedin and Auckland in late February, but returned in March.

University chief operating officer Stephen Willis said the university was ''seeking further intervention'' from Lime, following several near misses.

The university wanted ''the provision of technology that disables ability to ride through campus or [to] be speed-limited whilst on campus zones''.

The university would continue to seek changes to make it impossible for users to end their ride via the app while on campus, Mr Willis said.

Despite Lime scooters seeming to appear in the campus area on Lime's app yesterday, a spokeswoman from Lime said the technology stopping scooters from being parked on campus had been introduced within the past few days, preventing Lime from ending trips there.

Since the start of 2019, the university's health and safety compliance team had recorded scooters travelling at speed close to vehicle entries and exits to loading bays, and near misses on the footpath with children and parents near the university's child-care facility.

Two people zooming through a university building on a single scooter was also reported.

At the university's Christchurch campus, a member of the public tripped over one of two Lime scooters parked on the campus and fell heavily.

''To avoid trip hazards, we have sought and continue to seek from Lime changes to make it impossible for users to end their ride via the app while on campus,'' Mr Willis said.

The university is a ''no park'' zone for Lime scooters, and parking for them has been designated around the campus perimeter.

The campus is also out of bounds to skateboarders and cyclists.

People are expected to dismount and walk.

Otago Polytechnic safety and wellbeing manager Andy Westgate said he was ''not aware of any complaints or incidents regarding Lime scooters on [the polytechnic] campus''.

elena.mcphee@odt.co.nz

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The only way Lime will respond effectively to safety concerns is if they are made to by regulation or a lawsuit. The way for councils, institutions and the general public to reclaim safe streets and public areas is to hit them where it hurts most, in the balance sheet. It's the only thing they truly care about.

Agree entirely

Until NZTA classifies motorised scooters as vehicles, Lime will continue to do as it pleases, despite its pious claims to regard safety as its "#1 priority".

Yawn, yet another 'article' about those should be banned, evil, make the sky fall scooters.
They are here to stay so get used to it.

Nivaman You might like to get used it but if you were injured you might change your mind. Nobody mentioned the word ban- just safety. Other wheels have rules and so will scooters- we'll all get used to it.

Nash, If I was injured, it would not make me change my mind. What a ridiculous assertion.
I sense the only way to make you happy is to take them off the streets, you will thereby deny people to make their own choice as to whether they can use them.

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