Carelessly parked e-scooters have been the bane of scooter haters over the past summers, especially in the capital region. However, a human resources company has found a solution that promises to not only keep streets tidier, but also create new jobs for those struggling to find employment.
Scooter operators are now hiring 'street patrols' to care for the electric vehicles. Street patrolling in Helsinki is currently being outsourced by Just Arrived. A good deal of the job entails moving poorly-parked or discarded e-scooters out of the way.
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The Swedish HR company was founded during the 2015 European migrant crisis and aims to offer employment to those who find it difficult to find a job, for example due to a lack of language skills.
According to the City of Helsinki, Just Arrived employees are paid a wage of 11.87 euros per hour, plus additional pay on evenings and weekends.
Just Arrived employee Khaled Hashwan he had been looking for work ever since he moved to Finland from Yemen in 2016, despite having vocational training under his belt.
"No one would hire me before and now I've got a permanent job. I feel like I am part of Finnish society," Hashwan said.
Despite the summer nature of the job, Just Arrived aims to offer other work opportunities to their employees once the scooting season is over.
Company CEO Sofi Fridland said the firm provides their clients with an often-needed job search network.
Such employment models could also help Ukrainian refugees, Fridland added.
"There are enough jobseekers, now we need more companies to open their doors to them," she said.
There has been considerable public backlash about rentable e-scooters due to dangerous driving and parking habits. In response the companies have taken other measures in order to improve things.
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For instance, Helsinki's streets now sport scooter parking spots. A new rule scooter renters need to follow is that proper parking of the vehicles need to be confirmed by sending a photograph of the parked vehicle to the operator.
Meanwhile, stricter speed limits and a ban on weekend night scooting implemented last summer are still in effect.