Auckland Council and Auckland Transport licence rental micromobility operators to trade from public places under our respective bylaws.
Nekeneke moroiti: Te raihana me te waeture i ngā kaiwhakahaere e-scooter me ngā pahikara e Micromobility: Licensing and regulating e-scooter and e-bike rental operators
What is micromobility
We define micromobility as small, lightweight transport devices hired and driven by people. The types of these devices continues to evolve. We currently licence both rental e-scooters and e-bikes.
E-scooters and e-bikes are defined by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) as wheeled recreational devices or power-assisted cycles of less than 300 watts in power.
They are:
- regulated by the Government
- not classified as a motor vehicle
- not required to be licensed or registered.
The speed limit for e-scooters and e-bikes is the same as the road speed limit in a given area.
Learn more about low-powered vehicles on the NZTA website.
E-scooter regulations
NZTA has decided any e-scooter can be ridden on the footpath, shared paths and on the road.
A helmet is not legally required but is recommended.
E-bike regulations
Like regular bikes, e-bikes should not be ridden on the footpath, but they can be ridden on shared paths, separated cycle paths and on the road.
A helmet is legally required.
Rental e-scooter and e-bike licensing and compliance
In Auckland, operators of rental e-scooters or e-bikes that are parked in public places are licensed through our Public Trading, Events and Filming Bylaw 2022 and Auckland Transport’s Activities in the Road Corridor Bylaw 2022 (PDF 1MB).
The conditions and expectations we have for this type of business are outlined in the Rental Micromobility Code of Practice.
We use the bylaws, the Code of Practice, the Trading and Events and Public Places Guidelines and the Micromobility Parking and Deployment Requirements to manage operator compliance.
Related documents
Rental e-scooter and e-bike licensing
Auckland Council and Auckland Transport have run a series of trials around the licensing of rental e-scooters in Auckland under our bylaw.
After two trials, we have improved the code of practice and continue to license rental e-scooter schemes under the bylaw.
E-scooter and e-bike operators
There are two companies licensed to operate both e-scooters and e-bikes in Auckland’s public places:
- Flamingo
- Lime.
More information
You can read more about the licensing process and the updated conditions for operators on OurAuckland.
Fees for micromobility operators
| Description | Fee |
|---|---|
| Monitoring deposit charged on approval of application | $8,025 |
| Multi-device (e-scooter and e-bike) application deposit | $10,700 |
| Single device (e-scooter or e-bike) application deposit | $8,025 |
Apply for a licence to operate a rental e-scooter, e-bike or bike scheme
Email micromobility@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to apply for a licence to operate a rental scheme.
Read our assessment criteria to find out how we assess applications.
Report accidents and incorrectly parked micromobility devices
If you are involved in an accident or near miss with a rental micromobility device, or you find an incorrectly parked device, report this to the relevant operator:
Flamingo
0800 352 646 (0800 FLAMINGO)
Lime
You can also email micromobility@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz so we can follow up on your concerns.