Ooooh, BURN. Lime spokesperson Arellano called Skip and Scoot “inexperienced scooter operators” and complained about SFMTA’s process, adding, “We call on the Mayor’s Office and Board of Supervisors to hold the SFMTA accountable.”
In case you’ve also been under a rock, the Bird, Lime, and varying scooter companies came onto the scene of SF streets as rentable transportation just like the Ford Bikes / Uber Bikes of the world. When the companies got so popular amongst SF riders, the SFMTA stepped in and issued a decree that the following companies outlined had to apply for permits in order to operate within city limits. And when problems began to arise with the scooter revolution, the SFMTA put an immediate halt and demanded all scooters be removed from streets.
City Hall gossip (as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle) summarized that SF-based Spin, Lime, Bird, Uber, and Lyft had all made too many enemies with their past freewheeling attitude about regulation.
// For now, enjoy newcomers or continue to throw the scooters into the bay and various water features.