A June 2018 photo of a local riding a Lime scooter on the sidewalk near Capitol Hill. (BizDen file)
Electronic scooter companies are divided on what to do in the middle of a pandemic.
Of the five companies permitted to operate within the city, Bird and Lime had removed their scooters from the city’s streets entirely as of Friday, while Lyft, Spin and Razor scooters happily awaited their next ride.
Lime, with around 120,000 scooters in 30 countries, released a statement on March 21, saying it planned to “begin winding down and pausing service to reflect public health guidance” in all of its markets except for South Korea.
Bird’s app also shows no scooters available locally. The company did not respond to BusinessDen’s request for a comment.
Lyft, which did pause operations in Miami at the request of the city, continues to operate in Denver. Those who log into the app see a cautionary message: “Please take care of yourself, wash your hands before and after riding, and only travel for essential purposes.” The company said in a regulatory filing last month that the pandemic has delayed production for certain bike and scooter parts.
Spin, which is owned by Ford, did not respond to a request for comment. The company released a statement on March 23 confirming that operations would continue in cities “where we can make an impact and where the city is supporting our efforts to provide a transportation option for essential purposes.” The company said it is trying to alter where its scooters are stationed to “align to essential travel needs including hospitals, transit stops, health clinics, and grocery stores.”
Razor didn’t respond to a request for comment.
A June 2018 photo of a local riding a Lime scooter on the sidewalk near Capitol Hill. (BizDen file)
Electronic scooter companies are divided on what to do in the middle of a pandemic.
Of the five companies permitted to operate within the city, Bird and Lime had removed their scooters from the city’s streets entirely as of Friday, while Lyft, Spin and Razor scooters happily awaited their next ride.
Lime, with around 120,000 scooters in 30 countries, released a statement on March 21, saying it planned to “begin winding down and pausing service to reflect public health guidance” in all of its markets except for South Korea.
Bird’s app also shows no scooters available locally. The company did not respond to BusinessDen’s request for a comment.
Lyft, which did pause operations in Miami at the request of the city, continues to operate in Denver. Those who log into the app see a cautionary message: “Please take care of yourself, wash your hands before and after riding, and only travel for essential purposes.” The company said in a regulatory filing last month that the pandemic has delayed production for certain bike and scooter parts.
Spin, which is owned by Ford, did not respond to a request for comment. The company released a statement on March 23 confirming that operations would continue in cities “where we can make an impact and where the city is supporting our efforts to provide a transportation option for essential purposes.” The company said it is trying to alter where its scooters are stationed to “align to essential travel needs including hospitals, transit stops, health clinics, and grocery stores.”
Razor didn’t respond to a request for comment.
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