Business Director Kate Ogg has affirmed Oggy E-scooters is not to blame after reports of environmental damage caused by E-scooters on the Sunshine Coast.

There are recent claims that E-scooters are being disposed of dangerously around the region, negating their primary purpose of an eco-friendly mode of public transport. 

Mrs Ogg told Sunshine Coast News that she received a number of complaints regarding rival company Neuron Mobility and sightings of E-scooters submerged in waterways, which can lead to significant safety hazards involving the lithium-ion battery used to power the device. 

“Saltwater short circuits lithium batteries, leading to fires that are extremely difficult to extinguish,” she said. 

Mrs Ogg explains that Oggy scooters use geofencing to ensure scooters can’t get too close to any saltwater, along with technology that requires the scooter to be within a designated parking spot before the ride can end which guarantees proper disposal.

“The reason this is effective and works very well is because the rider is paying per minute until the scooter goes back to that parking spot,” she said.

“Every E-scooter ride-share company has access to exactly the same tech, in fact, more tech than we have, considering they’re worth billions of dollars and we are a little family-run business.” 

Unlike Neuron Mobility, Oggy scooters have created parking spots on private land.

Mrs Ogg says they decided not to partner with the council due to excessively high fees and the fact that their scooters would have had to be disposed of on public land. 

“We think it looks terrible and it leads to vandalism theft and all sorts of things,” she said. 

The capability of Oggy Scooters as a small local business challenges the responsibility of much larger companies to reduce the environmental impact of ‘sustainable’ E-scooters.

Do you think E-scooters visually pollute the environment?

— Louisedmannion (@louisedmannion) November 4, 2023

Hear from local Sunshine Coast business owner Kate Ogg as she outlines the unique aspects of her E-Scooter service, from using the app to partnering with the local university.
While E-Scooter littering has been an ongoing issue on the Sunshine Coast for several months, Oggy Scooters believes they have the solutions to give riders and other locals alike a better experience with the devices.