• Beam will increase its Tasmanian footprint, with operations to commence in Burnie in June
• Beam is currently trialling footpath detection and speed adjustment technology in Hobart and Launceston, with further technology trials to come 

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[6 May 2022] Leading micromobility company Beam will grow its Tasmanian footprint to Burnie, following strong take-up of shared micromobility in Tasmania.

Beam will commence operations in Burnie next month, with 150 e-scooters to be introduced to the city. 

Four months into Hobart and Launceston’s 12-month e-scooter trial, Beam riders have ridden over 400,000 kilometres in Hobart and 300,000 kilometres in Launceston. 

Beam’s latest rider data from Hobart and Launceston shows the trial’s popularity, with each e-scooter used on average 4 times per day. 

• The average duration of a Beam e-scooter trip is 12 minutes in both Hobart and Launceston
• Beam’s Hobart riders rely on shared e-scooters largely for work commutes (46%) and dining out (40%), with riders also revealing they rely on e-scooters to run errands (27%) and explore parts of the city they know less well (18%). Similarly, Launceston riders rely on shared e-scooters for work commutes (31%), dining out (28%), running errands (27%) and exploring parts of the city they know less well (31%). This shows that many riders are increasingly utilising e-scooters for more than one ‘use case’ or travel category, with micromobility being more entrenched in day-to-day life. 
• The most popular commuter routes in Launceston have been to/from South Launceston and the CBD, Inveresk/Invermay and the CBD, and to the University Campus at Newnham, with the longest commuter trips coming from suburbs such as Newstead and Mowbray. 
• In Hobart, the most popular commuter routes are along typically congested car routes from Sandy Bay, Dynnyrne, Mount Nelson and South Hobart into the CBD, and out again. Other suburbs with increasing commuter usage are West Hobart, North Hobart, New Town, Mount Stuart and Lenah Valley. 
• 38% of Hobart riders and 33% of Launceston riders are now more likely to consider public transportation for their journey, with the ability to utilise e-scooters for first/last mile trips. 

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Beam General Manager (ANZ) Tom Cooper, said: 

“In the first four months of our 12-month trial in Hobart and Launceston, the data has shown a growing reliance on e-scooters not just for leisure purposes, but for connecting residents to work, shops and tertiary education. 

“We see this as the perfect time to grow our operations in Tasmania, beginning with Burnie, and thank the Burnie City Council for their trust in us for their first shared-micromobility trial. 

“As we continue to offer shared micromobility to residents and visitors to Tasmanian cities, our commitment is first and foremost to the safety of both the riding and non-riding community, and ensuring rider compliance with the state legislation. 

“We have comprehensive in-app rider education, and incorporate safety features such as precision geofencing, vehicle tracking, triple brakes and bluetooth-locked helmets. 

“We also have a three-strikes policy in place, where riders risk permanent bans for violation of the riding rules, and will be working closely with the local police to enforce the law. 

“In addition to the current trial of pavement-detection technology we’re undertaking in Hobart and Launceston, we will also be introducing drink-riding deterrence technology to cities in Tasmania in the coming weeks to further support the efforts of the Tasmanian Police in enforcing the state legislation.”

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