Bird app to feature city-run bikeshare schemes

Micromobility firm Bird has launched a public bikeshare integration through its app which connects commuters with city-run schemes.

Riders can now use the Bird app to find nearby public bikes in Los Angeles, Austin, San Antonio and Oslo, with the company saying more cities will be added over time.

“Cities and riders are best served by transportation services that complement one another,” said Renaud Fages, Bird’s Global Head of Operations.

“To serve all riders, we must think creatively in ways that support existing transit modes and fill in a city’s mobility gaps.”

The new feature is currently only available for iOS users, but will be added to Android in the near future.

Diversification

The integration is part of Bird’s Smart Bikeshare Program, announced in June, which has seen the firm expand its micromobility presence by adding e-bikes to its e-scooter fleets.

Speaking in June, Travis VanderZanden, founder and CEO of Bird, said: “Shared scooters helped lay a critical foundation for a transportation future that’s both electric and multimodal.

“Together with our new, comprehensive bikeshare programme that pairs our state-of-the-art vehicles with custom local integrations, Bird is uniquely equipped to meet the eco-friendly mobility needs of cities, riders and small businesses alike, both now and into the future.”

Cooperation

During the pandemic, private transport operators and cities have found more common ground than in previous years.

Micromobility companies have taken a more conciliatory approach towards the cities they operate in, with free trips and an increased emphasis on safety and equity among the ways companies are trying to demonstrate their worth in the mobility ecosystem.

Meanwhile, many cities and transit agencies have come to view shared bikes and e-scooters as more of an integral part of the mobility mix to persuade people out of cars.

This is in stark contrast to the early days of e-scooters, where cities saw an explosion of competing fleets vying for their share of the market. This prompted cities, including LA, to introduce more stringent checks and balances on how micromobility firms operate.

Issues do still arise, though.

In June, San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) fined e-scooter firm Scoot (a subsidiary of Bird) US$105,600 for violations of its 2019 permit, which led to operations being paused on San Francisco streets.

The agency learned that Scoot had been operating with unauthorised and inadequately insured contractors, and temporarily deferred its decision to grant a new permit in order to investigate compliance.

But after re-evaluating the firm’s application in August, the SFMTA subsequently granted the firm a new 12-month permit to operate 1,500 e-scooters across the city.

Image: Bird