Seeing “Lime” Across Your City?

Have you seen bright-green scooters popping up all over Brisbane? I’m here to tell you everything you need to know about them and how you can start buzzing already Brisbane on your very own bright-green scooter.

Launched in Sydney earlier last month, Californian based bike and scooter sharing company Lime has rolled out hundreds of dockless electric scooters across both Brisbane and Sydney

The scooters have a 250-watt motor and can reach a speed of 27 kilometers per hour. To unlock your own set of wheels, download the Lime app and locate a scooter, unlock it with a QR code and take off! Costing $1 to unlock and 30 cents per minute, it’s only a small cost for hours of fun. Once you’ve reached your destination, simply park it out of the way and it locks itself. Easy!

If scooters aren’t your thing, not to worry, there are hundreds of neon-green bikes just waiting for a rider. If you’re keen to go for a spin you’ll have to hurry as the scooters and bikes are currently only in Brisbane until December 31. After a last minute exemption, The Queensland Government awarded Lime a temporary permit. Before the permit, the scooters would have been classified as illegal and could have cost riders over $10,000!

If you haven’t come across the scooters yet, make sure to check out the Brisbane CBD, South Brisbane, West End, Fortitude Valley and the immediate surrounding suburbs. With up to 500 bikes and scooters distributed across Brisbane it won’t be long before you find one lying across the footpath.

While it might be tempting to take the scooter for a spin on the road and feel the wind in your area, I’m sorry to tell you, they can only be used on footpaths, shared path and bike paths. On-road bike lanes are also not permitted. The scooters can only be used on the road when crossing or avoiding obstructions.

You have to be at least 16 years old to ride a scooter, or 12 with parental supervision, and a helmet must be worn at all times.

Using mobile phones and riding while boozed are also against the rules, so not selfies or after party rides through the city.

In the past, bike sharing services have failed to take off in Australia. With an Australian-based team and a community of ‘juicers,’ Lime is confident they have the answer to success.

As the scooters need to be charged every 24 to 48 hours, ‘juicers’ are people who can collect the scooters and charge them overnight. ‘Juices’ are paid a fee to collect the scooters by 10pm and return them in the morning. So there’s an opportunity to make some extra cash, if you’re interested.

So check out the Lime app, if you’re keen to take a bright-green scooter for a spin.