Beam reveals 165 e-scooter riders have been banned in Geraldton, including just five in past six months

The rate of riders of rented e-scooters in Geraldton being permanently banned for repeated wrongdoing has slowed to a virtual halt over the past six months in Geraldton. Beam has been operating the hire service in Geraldton since September 2022, with 160 riders banned under a “three strikes policy” up until June 2025. The latest figures from Beam reveal the current tally of blacklisted riders has only risen to 165. Between September 2022 and June 2025, almost 2000 strikes were issued to users for a range of reasons, including riding without a helmet, riding dangerously, tandem riding and doing tyre burn-outs. It’s understood the strike tally has increased to about 2150. This means the number of strikes has dropped from as many as 14 a week to about seven. It’s understood Beam typically hands out between 20-50 strikes a month. A Beam spokesperson said permanent bans had “become less frequent over time as riders become more familiar with the service, local rules and safe riding behaviour”. They claim their team “proactively reinforces the rules with riders”. The City of Greater Geraldton will soon be reviewing Beam’s licence, which expires at the end of January, and whether to extend it. Debate about the safety of the hired devices, and e-rideables in general, has been reignited in the wake of the death of a 37-year-old man in Tarcoola Beach after he fell off a Beam e-scooter on a footpath adjacent to Brand Highway just after midnight on December 24. The State Government is set to respond to recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry into e-rideables, which could include regulation such as licensing, registration and insurance, tougher penalties and outlawing modifications. Beam’s e-scooters are restricted to a maximum speed of 25km/h — which is the limit in WA — and 10km/h in slow zones, with high pedestrian traffic. However, some privately owned devices can reach speeds up to 45km/h. The Beam spokesperson almost 400,000 trips have been taken on their fleet of up to 250 e-scooters in Geraldton, with close to one million kilometres travelled. More than 35,000 people have used the service in Geraldton, with an average of 2500 trips a week. Beam says its e-scooters are fitted with an app-controlled Helmet Lock, ensuring every device is supplied with a helmet. A Helmet Selfie feature also provides riders with free credits if they upload of photo of themselves wearing a helmet. Anecdotal evidence in the community indicates that it is a common sight to see e-scooter riders not wearing helmets. The company spokesperson said “over 99.99 per cent of trips start and end safely and without incident”. Beam is assisting WA Police with their investigation into the Christmas Eve fatality. “Safety is Beam’s top priority, and we take it extremely seriously,” the spokesperson said. “We continuously invest in technology, rider education and enforcement to help minimise risk.” A Rider Check feature operating on Friday and Saturday nights and key dates such as New Year’s Eve forces users to do a quick, image-based cognitive reaction test before they can begin their trip. They have to tap either the left or right side of the screen in response to images in a bid to identify any signs of impairment. “Riders who fail the test after a number of attempts are temporarily locked out of the service, preventing unsafe trips before they start,” the Beam spokesperson said. E-SCOOTER CAUTIONARY TALEREPORT Page 13