Kids are causing a nuisance by “joyriding” on Lime scooters in Salford Quays, residents say.
The scooters, currently in the area as part of a trial scheme until 2026, are being taken to the Quayside car park next to the Lowry Theatre and shopping centre around 11pm some nights, with children using them to scoot down the ramps while shouting and screaming, according to Salford Quays councillor Jonathan Moore.
He said the noise can be heard in the nearby apartments such as the NV Buildings, and that the scooters are also being left outside of designated parking areas, often blocking pavements around the bus stop on Quays Road.
The scooters cost £1 to unlock and 17p per minute to use, and are available to anyone 18 or over with a provisional driving licence – but Coun Moore said children’s parents could be using their details to help their kids access the scooters.
“In the car park they go to the top floors and they shoot up and down the ramps, they go at maximum speed and shouting and shrieking and all the rest of it,” he said.
“Because the car park has no windows, it’s open to the elements, the noise impacts people in nearby buildings. That’s one example, the other is that they go up and down Quays Road.
“It’s causing people to be disturbed at night and get woken up, the noise is affecting them. I asked Lime if they’ve got teams on the ground to see this and challenge them, but they don’t.
“Another issue is there are always Lime scooters lying on the pavement abandoned. Lime says it’s not their users doing this, but people are coming and moving them and putting them in the way.
“There are places where you can’t walk down the pavement because they are lying there, such as the bus stop on Quays Road, that’s something they need to fix.”
Coun Moore met with Lime and Salford City Council officers to raise the issue this week.
He suggested introducing a locking mechanism, similar to what is used for rental bikes, but Lime said this is not possible, Mr Moore claimed.
He added: “It’s not the biggest problem in the world but there are some issues and if it turns into a permanent scheme then these teething issues need resolving.”
John-Paul Atley, founder of the Salford Quays Community Forum, said: “It’s mostly kids riding around the car park, it’s only really come up recently, it’s affecting the residents who live opposite because the noise is going straight out.
“But there are mixed views on it because there are students who use these [scooters] to go to university who feel it’s safer to use rather than walking.”
Salford City Council said its officers are investigating the issue.
A spokesperson said: “Salford Council have been aware of the issues and are actively working with Lime the operator of the e-scooter trial to find a solution.”
Lime told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that members of the public can report any examples of underage riding so the company can investigate.
A spokesperson added: “We take antisocial behaviour and underage riding very seriously, this is not how our service is intended for use.
“We have ID scanning in place to help ensure all e-scooter riders are 18+. This requires all riders to verify their age through scanning their driving licence, or provisional licence when they sign-up for a Lime account.
“While the vast majority of riders ride responsibly, we kindly ask that members of the public report any instances of underage riding or antisocial behaviour to Lime with the locations and times they took place, for us to investigate and then take appropriate action.
“Individuals reported to us and identified will be banned from our service.
“All of our e-scooters in Salford must be picked up and dropped off in designated parking bays identified in partnership with the Council.
“We have a number of measures in place to effectively manage scooters parked inconsiderately in Salford.
“These include: GPS-based no parking zones and mandatory end trip photos to help review rider parking. Users who don’t observe these parking rules will receive a warning, and fine.”
MediaCity was contacted for comment.
