CJMY
Beam Mobility, a micromobility service provider, has teamed up with several Malaysian universities to offer its e-scooters to students, faculty, and residents for short and cost-effective campus commutes.
Currently available in nine universities, including Universiti Sains Malaysia and EduCity Iskandar, Beam’s e-scooters are strategically placed at key locations around campuses, allowing users to easily move between faculty buildings, lecture halls, sports and leisure facilities, and residential suites.
According to Justin Tiew, General Manager of Beam Mobility Malaysia, the goal is to reduce the consumption of space taken up by cars.
“E-scooters take up way less parking space than cars, and that allows us to tackle the issue of limited car-park spaces within the campus,” said Justin, adding that this initiative aims to reduce car dependency and carbon emissions on campus.
Beam enhancing student mobility
Beam’s shared e-scooters placed around campuses offer students a more cost-effective and efficient way to travel, without the need to start a car or find a parking space. At an affordable pay-as-you-go rate of RM0.60 per minute, students can ride anywhere on campus in minutes. This greatly improves student mobility and reduces car dependency.
The introduction of Beam’s e-scooters on campus aligns with sustainable development goal efforts, as shared by Prof. Dr Sakina Sofia Baharom, Director of Operations for EduCity Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd, “Beam’s presence aligns with SDG efforts as an education city that supports green technology initiatives.
We hope that with this new offering, our community can enjoy the ecosystem and ideal campus lifestyle that EduCity offers.” Beam’s e-scooters help students move around campus in an eco-friendly and sustainable way.
Challenging car ownership pressures
A public survey conducted by Beam involving 1,008 Malaysians revealed that more young Malaysians are turning away from cars due to the rising costs of ownership and increasing traffic congestion. Malaysians spend an average of RM611 per month on transportation alone and lose almost two whole days (44 hours) every month being stuck in traffic.
Beam’s e-scooters aim to alleviate some of the pressures of car ownership on students and young adults, offering a convenient and affordable way to move around campus.
Responses from Beam’s public survey indicate that Malaysians are willing adopters of shared-e-scooters. Of the 670 car-commuting Malaysians surveyed, 76% stated that they would “definitely” or “probably” switch to a combination of e-scooters and public transportation if they had access to them.
Moreover, 26% of respondents from this group added that they “currently own a car, but would be more likely to switch to a combination of e-scooters and public transportation.” This indicates a growing trend towards alternative modes of transportation.
In addition to its partnerships with Malaysian universities, Beam Mobility was also made an implementation partner for the Sandbox of Sustainable Micromobility Integration and Innovation.
This year-long collaboration between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, and URBANICE Malaysia explores sustainable mobility innovations towards low-carbon cities and the integration of public transport to support first and last-mile connectivity. This partnership aims to promote sustainable and efficient transportation solutions for urban living.
