Will Scooters Become Next Uber?
Traditional public transit has reached a saturated state as urbanization keeps expanding. Old-fashioned transportation system such as subway and bus can no longer meet people’s various needs for mobility. Although innovative sharing system for cars and bikes have been introduced to cities, there is still a large room for new technology targeting short-distanced trips. Two startup companies, Bird and Lime, launched their scooter program about one year ago, disployed a number of electric scooters on street and hit millions of rides recently. Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft are both investing millions to develop their own electric scooters. With the popularity among investors and giant tech-companies, e-scooters seem to be next replacement for short-distanced walk.
Besides all the advantages e-scooters have, there are still many unsolved issues. First of all, government transportation agencies have not fully embraced the onset of these e-scooter programs yet. Although the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is giving permit to e-scooters operators and reviewing 12 applications right now, the attitude of government agency toward e-scooters is still skeptical. Another major concern is safety issue. The fast-moving riders on sideways creates safety concerns for both pedestrians and themselves. That makes it essential for scooter companies and agencies to collaborate and come up with a solution to address these issues.
One possible solution to operate e-scooters more safely is to build infrastructure only for cyclists and scooter riders. That makes commuters safer, and helps transportation agency to regulate streets more easily. E-scooter companies like Bird has offered to help fund such infrastructure. We can expect more efforts to be contributed toward this area, and see what impact this new form of transportation will bring into our life.
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