KUCHING,. Multinational micromobility company Beam Mobility will continue to engage with the government and local authorities to push for greater adoption of micromobility vehicles such as e-scooters.
Beam Mobility Malaysia general manager Justin Tiew said some Malaysian local councils have been very receptive towards adopting a micromobility service, but others have understandably taken a more precautionary approach.
The e-scooters made an appearance in Kuching for around two weeks before they were removed due to safety concerns and permit requirements.
It was initially proposed that 352 of Beam’s e-scooters would be placed in areas under Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) with 30 designated parking spots, while another 350 e-scooters would be placed in areas under the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) with 25 spots designated to park the vehicles.
Despite the setback, Tiew said the company will continue to engage with the councils and hope to bring the e-scooters back on the streets.
He said Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) in Kota Samarahan is now providing the micromobility service for its students and staff.
According to him, Beam’s e-scooters offer riders a cheaper and faster way of commute, reduce carbon emissions, and promote domestic tourism promotion.
“To the end-users, it is about practicality on getting to a place with a short distance. It makes more sense to use something that you can just pick up and go. Particularly for shared micromobility service, it makes sense because users just have to use it, park it, and then be on their way to their destination,” he said at Beam’s central warehouse in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
On safety risks, Tiew said the concern reflected a misconception towards e-scooters as the vehicles are fitted with advanced road safety technology and can be remotely disabled.
He explained Beam’s e-scooters follow international standards with a speed capped at 25km per hour, while certain areas can be designated as off-limits through geo-fencing.
“Research has shown accidents that happened have a lot to do with speed. The faster you go, there is a higher likelihood that your injuries will be more serious if you get into an accident,” he said, adding so far e-scooters have the lowest accident rate among micromobility vehicles.
He pointed out other micromobility vehicles such as bicycles can in fact travel faster than e-scooters on the road.
Beam’s e-scooter users are also covered by riders insurance with a maximum of RM150,000 for accidental death, up to RM6,000 for medical expenses, and RM750 for loss of teeth, or up to RM3,000 for dental procedures, among other coverage, he said.
With headquarters in Singapore, Beam’s electric scooters are already found in Turkey, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia.
