Photo: Mack Male (Flickr)
San Francisco grants Scoot new permit despite violations
19 August 2021
by Christopher Carey
San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has granted micromobility company Scoot a new 12-month permit to operate 1,500 e-scooters across the city.
The move comes less than two months after the firm was fined US$105,600 by the agency for violations of its 2019 permit which led to its operations being paused on San Francisco streets.
In June, 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, SFMTA staff granted the permit.
“The SFMTA’s Powered Scooter Share Program ensures that shared scooter operations support the city’s recovery in a safe, sustainable, and equitable way,” said Philip Cranna, Enforcement & Legal Affairs Manager, SFMTA.
“We take seriously permittees’ adherence to the permit terms and conditions, which are crafted to ensure private mobility options best contribute to the public welfare of the city.”
Failure to disclose
The agency informed Scoot in a June 25 letter that it was fining the company for subcontracting without SFMTA’s approval, not providing the city with proof of insurance for the subcontractors, and for failing to disclose its use of subcontractors in its quarterly reports.
In 2019, Scoot was acquired by Bird, a Santa Monica-based e-scooter company that just months prior had lost out on winning a permit to operate in San Francisco.
Two other firms, Lime and Spin, were awarded 12-month permits earlier this year to each operate 2,000 e-scooters, which brings the total number of e-scooters in operation across the city to 5,500.
Community engagement
From December 2020 to the end of January 2021, the SFMTA hosted an online survey to solicit feedback from the public to help staff refine the next round of permit requirements.
The survey was available in English, Chinese, Russian and Spanish, and included questions regarding demographics, community engagement, mode choice, and the adaptive programme.
Results indicated that stakeholders wanted to have regular SFMTA-facilitated meetings with scooter permittees open to the public, followed by continuous public online forums for more transparency.
The agency now posts Shared Mobility Dashboards providing the public with information about scooter trip levels, complaints and enforcement activities.
According to the transport operator, fleet size increases will be judged on compliance with SFMTA-defined metrics and policy outcomes, including those focused on equity, access, and sustainability, as well as adherence to all permit terms and conditions.
Cities Today has contacted Scoot for comment.
Image: Mack Male (Flickr)
