Perth Voice Interactive

A SECOND e-scooter operator has launched across the City of Vincent this week.

Singaporean-based Beam Mobility has rolled out 250 of its distinctive purple Saturn 5 e-scooters in Vincent; it already operates in the Perth CBD and in January started offering them in Stirling as well.

It joins Neuron in Vincent council’s 12-month e-scooter trial, which includes “geofencing” to stop riders going into Hyde Park and Britannia Reserve.

Mayor Alison Xamon said having two providers would make the City’s trial more effective.

“As an avid rider myself, e-scooters offer an alternate mode of transport for inner-city residents to get to work, school, social gatherings, community events and our buzzing town centres.

They are also environmentally friendly as they produce zero emissions and reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.”

Beam is an app-based service, with users being charged $1 to unlock the bike and then a minimum 45 cent fee for every minute it’s used.

Beam operations manager Andrew Dodd said the company was committed to safe riding.

“We invest in rider education, prevention and deterrence, but above all, even the safest e-scooter requires a safer rider, and we ask that people do the right thing – that means wear a helmet, follow the road rules,” Mr Dodd said.

Under Vincent council’s trial, Beam and Neuron will have to monitor parking stations to ensure they don’t become a tangle of scooters.

Beam was started by Yale classmates Alan Jiang and Deb Gangopadhyay on the basis they believe personal car ownership may fade as cities become increasingly dense.

They have indicated that they’d like the company to branch out into share e-bikes and e-mopeds.

Beam now boasts of being Australia’s “largest micromobility company”, but didn’t fare well on the Australian-based productreview.com.au website.

Of 17 reviews across Queensland, NSW and Victoria, they got hammered for a variety of issues, ranging from the pricing, unexpected charges and poor customer services.