A greater Accessible City

The e-scooters have landed! Seven hundred Lime scooters descended on the city recently and another five hundred will be here soon. Many have wholeheartedly embraced this new mode of transport; others are less enthusiastic, calling them a public nuisance and citing safety concerns.

I see real advantages in the introduction of e-scooters, especially for getting around in the CBD and nearby suburbs. Users can go directly to their destination on their own time and not be dependent on public transport. I have seen all kinds of people on the scooters – from students to business people in suits – and they have without exception had huge smiles on their faces. Being on a scooter brings out one’s inner child.

I do understand that we are in an early stage of learning to find the balance between pedestrians and scooters on our footpaths and access areas. To be accepted, scooters must be used responsibly. Change takes time. When smart phones first appeared, they were thought to be a temporary fad. Now where would we be without them? The Christchurch City Council is leading the way by having a scooter base outside its premises and I believe CBD apartment residents will become massive users in the future because of the convenience.

Ride that scooter a short distance from the CBD to Merivale to a just launched boutique apartment complex. Known as the Aria Apartments, the three storey building at 1 Hewitts Road has fourteen one and two-bedroom apartments very well priced from $460,000.

Contact me at mark.oloughlin@harcourts.co.nz for further information.