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Bunbury’s new e-scooters bringing ‘colour and buzz’ to iconic coastline and CBD

Headshot of Jackson Barrett
Jackson BarrettBunbury Herald
Bathsheba Kundi and Hephzibah John riding the new Beam e-scooters along the coast.
Camera IconBathsheba Kundi and Hephzibah John riding the new Beam e-scooters along the coast. Credit: Jackson Barrett/South Western Times

The raging popularity of Bunbury’s new Beam scooters has brought a fresh “buzz” over the holiday period, according to Mayor Jaysen Miguel.

The popular scooters, which re-launched in the coastal city late last year and can be accessed by the public, have lined the coastline and the CBD in recent weeks, with hundreds of tourists and locals jumping on for a ride.

Data from Beam has revealed each scooter is used an average of seven times each day, and the company hopes to have 200 out and about by the end of summer.

But while Mr Miguel said the new scooters had been a boost to the city, he encouraged people to maintain a “common sense approach” to using them.

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“They have certainly added some colour and generated some buzz around the city,” he said.

“We hope that it is a common sense approach in terms of respecting the equipment and others in the community while using the scooters.”

He also had a safety messag, urging users to respect road rules and wear the protection provided.

“I would encourage everyone to make sure they are wearing a helmet and sticking to the road rules,” Mr Miguel said.

“To my knowledge there have been no major reports of misuse but it is something that City officers will continue to monitor in consultation with Beam who are operating the service.”

Bunbury resident Bathsheba Kundi used the scooters to travel up and down Bunbury’s beaches and said the scooters were “good for the community”.

“We just use them for rides, we take them to the beach,” she said,

“Bunbury has never really had this sort of thing before.”

Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan, Beam Bunbury city manager Belle Lim Deputy Mayor Jaysen Miguel
Camera IconFormer Bunbury mayor Gary Brennan, Beam Bunbury city manager Belle Lim and new Mayor Jaysen Miguel launching the scooters in 2020. Credit: Ailish Delaney/South Western Times

Beam spokesperson Michelle Leong said the company was pleased with how people had embraced the new scooters in Bunbury.

“In the short time we’ve recommenced operations, we have seen e-scooters take off in popularity and become increasingly entrenched in the daily life of Bunbury residents,” she said.

They have also been popular as a great way to explore the city.

“With every trip on a Beam being carbon-neutral, that shows great potential for micro-mobility to aid in the modal shift away from cars, and provide increased connectivity for residents.”

The unique attractions were first brought to Bunbury at the start of 2020 on a trial basis, which was brought to an unexpected halt when the global pandemic hit.

“The local community seem to have embraced having the scooters back on the streets,” Mr Miguel said.

The e-scooters can be booked through an app-based system and the pay-as-you-go fleet can be accessed from CBD Bunbury locations including Dolphin Discovery Centre, Jetty Baths, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery and along Ocean Drive.

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