‘Lime Access’ scheme launched in Australia and New Zealand

Micro-mobility operator Lime has announced the launch of its ‘Lime Access’ scheme across Australia and New Zealand, providing discounted rides of at least 50 per cent to support lower income users by breaking down barriers to transportation access.

‘Lime Access’ is the operator’s largest worldwide transportation equity programme, aiming to make micro-mobility options more accessible to lower-income individuals and underserved communities by offering discounted rates to eligible riders. 

In Australia, anyone with a valid Health Care Card will be eligible to take advantage and can apply online. ‘Lime Access’ will be available immediately for Lime riders in Melbourne, Sydney and Gold Coast.

In New Zealand, ‘Lime Access’ will be available for Lime riders in Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, the Hutt Valley and Tauranga. Anyone with a valid Community Services Card will be eligible to participate and those interested can also apply online.

Lime has committed $450,000 to this effort in Australia and New Zealand, and has said that it will work to spread the word so that as many residents as possible take advantage of the programme, using advertising, in-app messaging, social media, Electronic Direct Mail (EDM) and leveraging local partnerships with organisations like Orange Sky and Good Cycles to do so. 

“All of us at Lime are proud to have provided the residents of the cities we serve with a safe and sustainable open-air form of transport throughout the pandemic. Now we are proud to make even deeper investments in Australia and New Zealand’s pandemic recovery and equitable transport efforts. We want to help Australia and New Zealand get moving again by ensuring residents have access to safe, sustainable, open-air transport options. We look forward to working with the city to ensure that these initiatives reach as many Australian residents as possible,” said Hugo Burt-Morris, General Manager of Lime Australia and New Zealand. 

“Transport equity is a current concern in a number of our communities, so it is great to see this initiative from Lime to help make sustainable transport more accessible for more people,”  said Christchurch Councillor Mike Davidson, Chair of the Urban Development and Transport Committee.

Lime launched its ‘Lime Access’ initiative to remove barriers to mobility for lower income users in Australia and New Zealand. Existing transport networks do not always reach every community equally, while rideshare and personal cars are expensive and carbon intensive. Eligible users will be able to use the service to travel door-to-door to important commitments like job interviews and doctors appointments in an efficient and cost effective way.

‘Lime Access’ eligibility will be initially determined by the Health Care Card in Australia and the Community Services Card in New Zealand, but Lime will work with local community groups and Councils to add further eligibility, and ensure that equitable access is available to as many people as possible.

The scheme means that a Lime Access user would be charged as little as $1.85 for a journey of 2km, far below the cost of the average Uber ride or public transport trip, helping lower income riders to take advantage of the safe, socially-distanced service. 

To protect its riders and the wider community, Lime continues to invest in COVID-19-secure protocols, including following public guidelines and recommendations for disinfection and cleaning its e-bikes and e-scooters regularly.