E-scooters

Find out about how to use E-scooters in Lower Hutt, and the rules around e-scooter safety.

About e-scooters

In Lower Hutt, you can find 100 Lime e-scooters placed around the city. This might increase to 400, depending on demand.

E-scooters might be a quick and easy environmentally friendly way to travel, but they can be a risk to you and others. It’s important to ride and park in a safe and considerate way at all times.

Rules for using e-scooters

  • E-scooters can be ridden on the footpath or road, except in cycle lanes that are part of the road.
  • Each e-scooter must have a working bell, a steady or flashing rear-facing red light, and a headlight.
  • On the footpath the user must:
    • use the e-scooter in a careful and considerate manner
    • use the e-scooter at a speed that does not put other footpath users at risk
    • give way to both pedestrians and drivers of mobility devices.
  • On the road, e-scooters must be used as close as possible to the edge of the road, out of the way of cars.
  • You don't legally have to wear a helmet when using an e-scooter, but we recommend you do for your own safety.

Where to use e-scooters

You can use e-scooters almost everywhere in Lower Hutt, except  in  the Western Hills, Wainuiomata Hill, and Wainuiomata.

Lime has excluded these areas because it's would be unsafe to use them in areas with steep roads and footpaths.

E-scooters don't have enough power to climb steep grades properly.

Low speed zones

Low speed (15 km/h) zones have been defined for:

  • Lower Hutt CBD
  • Jackson Street (between Cuba Street and Petone Ave), and
  • The Esplanade shared path.

Safety tips for e-scooters

  • Ride at a safe speed that does not pose a hazard to yourself or others.
  • Be aware that cyclists, other road users and pedestrians may not hear you coming.
  • If you use the road rather than the footpath, keep as far to the left as you can for your own and others safety.
  • Ride the safest path or road.
  • One person per scooter. No matter how short the trip, never have more than one person per scooter.
  • Give way to pedestrians and people using wheelchairs and other mobility devices. A friendly warning to make them aware of your presence is also a good idea.
  • Park out the way of pedestrians.
  • Wear a helmet to keep yourself safe.

Reporting safety and maintenance issues

You can report safety and maintenance issues to Lime's customer service team by:

These channels are constantly monitored by Lime's local operations team. Contact information is also printed on all scooters.

For more information