Less than a week after Phoenix’s e-scooter pilot program launched, Lime and Bird have temporarily removed their e-scooters from the city after city officials warned them over their noncompliance with a parking rule.
The companies removed their scooters on Thursday night, after the Phoenix New Times uncovered that neither company was requiring riders to park in one of downtown’s 400 designated parking zones, a requirement in the city’s program.
City officials then sent notices to Lime and Bird mandating they comply with the parking rule by the end of Friday, September 20, or risk losing their permits. The companies opted to pull their scooters from the city instead.
A Lime spokesperson told the Phoenix New Times that the company was making “minor updates” to their software to ensure a “safe and responsible environment for riders and non-riders alike.”
The city’s pilot program, which is set to last six months, required companies to obtain permits, use geo-fence docking locations to force riders to park inside one of the city’s 400 designated parking locations, and includes no-ride zones intended to limit where riders can operate and park their rented scooters.
Since Lime and Bird failed to comply with the parking requirements, Spin is currently the only company operating e-scooters in downtown Phoenix.
Keya Vakil Keya is a reporter at COURIER, where he covers everything from healthcare to climate change. Prior to joining Courier Newsroom, Keya worked as a researcher in the film industry and dabbled in the political world.
