A gap in the electric wheelchair market was seen by vehicle company Scootaround over 22 years ago. While vacationing in Hawaii, the founder’s family expressed their disappointment about the lack of mobility scooters for rent. This is how the big transportation solutions company Scootaround came to be. Now, scooter company Bird has seen the same opportunity, hence, partnering with the 20-year old transportation service Scootaround.
Bird and Scootaround team up to offer on-demand electric wheelchair rental services to New York City this summer. Bird is on a mission to make vacationing, travelling, or going around NYC comfortable even for people with disabilities.
Ban on e-scooters lifted
Electric scooters weren’t always welcomed in NYC. Before November 2020, NYC civilians posed a concern about reckless two-wheeled or four-wheeled drivers. There was a surge of electric scooters in the streets of New York, and people have stated that they’re a “nuisance.”
This concern prompted NYC lawmakers to ban the use of electric scooters. However, during the start of the pandemic, people realized how convenient e-scooters were for essential workers. This, again, prompted lawmakers to lift the ban on using throttle-controlled e-bikes and e-scooters altogether.
Of course, this comes with a few rules on riders. Only riders aged 16 up will be allowed to run on e-scooters and e-bikes. Moreover, riders below 18 must wear a helmet while on their electric scooters. Finally, some throttle-controlled bikes will require riders to wear helmets for safety as well.
Gov. Cuomo had approved a tentative budget legalizing any electric mobility device, including e-bikes and e-scooters. This was a year after he had vetoed a similar legalization bill passed in 2019. Thus, a decade of back-and-forth is now coming into place as the e-bike, or e-scooter budget is now approved.
NYC is now one of the cities that allows electric scooters, along with Atlanta, Washington, and San Francisco.
Bird’s pilot program
NYC will now be seeing more of Bird’s electric scooters this summer. Bird has chosen the perfect trusted company for transportation services, Scootaround, for its pilot program built for sustainability.
Bird promises a better and more convenient way of moving around NYC for people with mobility issues. Both companies are now making mobility service transportations accessible by tapping a few buttons on the Bird mobile application.
Bird first announced Bird Zero in 2018, an electric scooter designed for ride sharing with longer battery life. Not long after, Bird created the Bird Platform to provide individual operators to use the platform for advertising their own shared, branded e-scooters. Bird reached over 10 million rides that year.
Now that two of the most reliable scooter companies have teamed up to provide better transportation services, people with mobility issues can now select, reserve, and pay for their chosen electric scooter, including the WHILL Model C. A design with a more excellent aesthetic, reliable wheel structure, and prompt joystick feature.
How to reserve
Bird boasts a user-friendly interface to conveniently reserve and pay for an electric scooter. Riders can go to the bottom button on the Bird app. Then, select among three available vehicle types.
They would have to input the rent duration, which is from one to 14 days, and preferred pick-up and drop-off locations.
Furthermore, riders will receive an in-person demo on using, storing, and charging the electric scooter. In addition to that, a toll-free number is also provided for any questions or concerns about the rental process or vehicle.
With the campaign rolling out in the summer, people with mobility issues will now be more confident in roaming around NYC. No more concerns about e-scooter rentals as Bird lets everyone travel comfortably, with a minimal carbon footprint.
