Auckland's Lime scooter trial has been extended to the end of March.
The decision, made by Auckland Council on Thursday morning, gives Auckland Transport and the council's regulatory compliance team more time to consider how to handle the new business model.
The trial was initially set to expire at the end of February, but Lime's current licence expired on January 14.
"We initially had a trial period set to run until February 28 but have had some changes occur since the first licences were issued, namely the withdrawal of one operator and second experiencing a delay in launching," chief operating officer Dean Kimpton said earlier this week.
"One consideration in extending Lime's licence is the potential for a second operator to still enter the market, therefore giving us some comparison information to include in our review."
Onzo and Wave are yet to launch their expected scooters in the city yet. Each three-month licence costs the operator about $3000.
"Our next step is to collate all the feedback we have gathered during the trial period and make a recommendation on whether the council should continue issuing licences for e-scooter rental providers," said Mr Kimpton.
"We will confirm the timeline for this work and how elected representatives will be involved in that decision-making process in the next few weeks."
- The lowdown on where Lime e-scooters can be used and how to stay safe
- Vomit and streams: What Lime scooter 'juicers' are forced to deal with
- Auckland council to seek advice on Lime Scooter safety
Auckland Council has welcomed the scooters' popularity, despite a number of crashes making headlines.
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