American bike and scooter share company Lime is planning to roll out its electric scooters in Auckland and Christchurch.

Hordes of shared electric scooters may soon be whizzing around New Zealand's two largest cities at speeds of up to 27kmh – close to the speed limit for much of central Christchurch.

You'll have to be 18 to use them, can ride them on the footpath and do not need to wear a helmet.

United States bike and scooter share company Lime, formerly LimeBike, has applied to the Christchurch City Council for a permit to operate 700 e-scooters in the city for a three-month trial starting mid-September.

Council staff recommended councillors vote to grant the permit when they meet on Thursday, noting Lime has imminent plans to roll out the scooters in Christchurch and Auckland.

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If the permit is granted and the trial goes well, Lime, which was founded in January 2017 in California, plans to double the number of scooters in Christchurch.

Lime's scooters have a 48 kilometre range and a top speed of 27kmh. Users find, unlock and pay for them using an app. The dockless system means people can leave them at their destination.

Because they have a 300 Watt motor, the scooters fit the classification of a wheeled recreational device, which can be used on a footpath without requiring a helmet, according to NZ Transport Agency rules.

Lime currently operates in more than 80 places around the world. It claims its network of electric bikes, electric scooters and pedal bikes have provided more than six million rides.

A report provided to the council shows in the 14 months after the company launched it attracted $467USD million in funding. Investors include Google Ventures and ride share company Uber.

RISK TO PEDESTRIANS MUST BE ADDRESSED

Councillor Deon Swiggs called the Lime proposal innovative and said the company was taking all the risk.

"It does fit in with the idea of Christchurch as a city where we can try things."

However, Swiggs questioned the target market for the scooters given they were restricted to people aged 18 and over. He had some concerns about safety and how users' data might be utilised.

"There has to be some consideration about the speed of these things, and knowing there may be conflict where people are walking. That needs to be addressed one way or the other."

Lime's proposal said it would collect and charge the scooters overnight to make sure they were ready to go for the next day, reducing the risk of dumping.

Cr Vicki Buck said: "Transport options that are clean and easy for people are always good. I think this one has an element of novelty about it as well."

Council strategy and transformation general manager Brendan Anstiss said similar schemes worked well with public transport by offering a way to take the first or last part of a trip.

He said the council permit would ensure the scooters met safety requirements, and specify how many were on the streets.

"They also offer residents and visitors a fun and active way to get around," he said.

WHAT ABOUT THE BIKE SHARE?

The move comes while a replacement for Christchurch's bike share scheme remains in limbo, with current operator Christchurch Bike Share to start pulling stands off the road from mid-September.

The council is still negotiating with its preferred operator, believed to be Mobike, a Chinese company that helped drive the global bike share boom.