CINCINNATI — Days after Cincinnati imposed curfews on e-scooters, Bird is hoping the city will retract the new regulations.
Since April 22, Bird and Lime e-scooters in Cincinnati have only been operational between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Prior to these new rules, e-scooters held an 11 p.m. curfew.
Bird is hoping Cincinnati will reverse the curfew, and the company is working with the city to address concerns.
"We hope that by working to address these concerns, the city will retract its decision to implement a curfew which penalizes the tens of thousands of responsible riders who are dependent on our service for access to their jobs, education opportunities as well as healthcare services," Bird said.
City officials decided to program the scooters with the curfew after discussing issues brought up by the police department and community members. Criminal activities, underage riding and riding on sidewalks — an act City Council banned in 2018 — were among the multiple issues discussed.
After implementing the curfew, Cincinnati said it would be in effect for the near future until the companies and the city could come to a resolution. As those discussions commence, Bird said its working to "prevent policy decisions with sweeping repercussions for many."
The company has turned on an ID scan feature all on scooters to verify riders are 18 or order, and it also turned off the group ride feature in hopes to appease the city's concerns.
"Shared e-scooters are a critical, eco-friendly transportation alternative for many Cincinnati residents including those who rely on the service to get home from work in the evening, those who don't own a car and those who don't feel safe on public transit," Bird said.
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