Skip to main content
https://www.highperformancecpmgate.com/rgeesizw1?key=a9d7b2ab045c91688419e8e18a006621

SF denies Spin’s appeal to operate electric scooters, but offers some hope

Spin, the electric scooter company recently bought by Ford, still won’t be able to operate in San Francisco. Well, at least for now. This comes after Spin appealed the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s decision regarding electric scooter permits in the city. A neutral officer, James Doyle, has since denied Spin’s appeal.

“The SFMTA is pleased the hearing officer validated our permitting process, which above all, prioritized the public interest,” SFMTA Communications Manager Ben Jose said in a statement to TechCrunch. “The SFMTA developed a fair, thoughtful and transparent permit program. Permits were awarded to the companies with the best applications that demonstrated a commitment to operating a safe, equitable and accountable service.”

There is, however, a silver lining for Spin. The hearing officer recommends the SFMTA consider having Spin participate in the second half of the one-year pilot program. That’s because “Spin appears to be an experienced and capable operator, and because allowing additional operators will enhance the probability of success of the powered e-scooter share program in San Francisco,” Doyle wrote in his decision.

Electric scooters are back in SF

Citing Section 916 of the electric scooter program, which states that after the initial six-month period, the SFMTA may evaluate those with permits and reassess compliance, Doyle says that provides a “natural juncture” in the program. After the first six months of the program, the SFMTA can potentially increase the number of scooters from the current max of 625 to 2,500. This juncture, Doyle said, should be able to accommodate the addition of other operators.

“We were heartened by the Hearing Officer’s strong recommendation that Spin be granted a permit by the SFMTA at the six-month mark of the pilot,” a Spin spokesperson told TechCrunch via email. “While it’s disappointing that Spin can’t immediately serve our hometown, we appreciate the Hearing Officer’s acknowledgment of our experience and capabilities, and we look forward to working with the SFMTA to serve more San Franciscans with an alternative mobility mode and hire locally from the community.”

Currently, Skip and Scoot are the only two companies permitted to operate electric scooters in SF. Since deploying their respective fleets in October, both have experienced some growing pains — mostly pertaining to theft and vandalism. That has led both Scoot and Skip to add locks to their fleets.

Moving forward, it’s unclear if the SFMTA will take the recommendation, but Jose said, “The SFMTA will be consulting with the City Attorney’s Office to determine next steps as we near the second half of the pilot.

The electric scooter wars of 2018

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How the world’s largest cannabis dispensary avoids social media restrictions

Planet 13 is the world’s largest cannabis dispensary. Located in Las Vegas, blocks off the Strip, the facility is the size of a small Walmart. By design, it’s hard to miss. Planet 13 is upending the dispensary model. It’s big, loud and visitors are encouraged to photograph everything. As part of the cannabis industry, Planet 13 is heavily restricted on the type of content it can publish on Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms. It’s not allowed to post pictures of buds or vapes on some sites. It can’t talk about pricing or product selection on others.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Morgan Celeste SF Blogger (@bayareabeautyblogger) on Jan 25, 2020 at 7:54pm PST Instead, Planet 13 encourages its thousands of visitors to take photos and videos. Starting with the entrance, the facility is full of surprises tailored for the ‘gram. As a business, Planet 13’s social media content is heavily restricted a...
3 comments
Read more

Uber co-founder Garrett Camp steps back from board director role

Uber co-founder Garrett Camp is relinquishing his role as a board director and switching to board observer — where he says he’ll focus on product strategy for the ride hailing giant. Camp made the announcement in a short Medium post in which he writes of his decade at Uber: “I’ve learned a lot, and realized that I’m most helpful when focused on product strategy & design, and this is where I’d like to focus going forward.” “I will continue to work with Dara [Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO] and the product and technology leadership teams to brainstorm new ideas, iterate on plans and designs, and continue to innovate at scale,” he adds. “We have a strong and diverse team in place, and I’m confident everyone will navigate well during these turbulent times.” The Canadian billionaire entrepreneur signs off by saying he’s looking forward to helping Uber “brainstorm the next big idea”. Camp hasn’t been short of ideas over his career in tech. He’s the co-founder of the web 2.0 recommendatio...
Post a Comment
Read more

Billionaire clothing dynasty heiress launches Everybody & Everyone to make fashion sustainable

Veronica Chou’s family has made its fortune at the forefront of the fast fashion business through investments in companies like Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger . But now, the heiress to an estimated $2.1 billion fortune is launching her own company, Everybody & Everyone , to prove that the fashion industry can be both environmentally sustainable and profitable. There’s no argument about the negative impacts of the fashion industry on the environment. The textiles industry primarily uses non-renewable resources — on the order of 98 million tons per year. That includes the oil to make synthetic fibers, fertilizers to grow cotton, and toxic chemicals to dye, treat, and produce the textiles used to make clothes. The greenhouse gas footprint from textiles production was roughly 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2015 — more than all international flights and maritime shipments combined (and a lot of those maritime shipments and international flights were hauling clothes). The lit...
Post a Comment
Read more