WASHINGTON — The coronavirus pandemic has sidelined many things across the country. Traffic has significantly decreased, and public transportation services have also been scaled back. Many of the scooters we are used to seeing have disappeared, too.
After pulling its scooters off the streets because of the coronavirus pandemic, Wednesday, Lime is returning to the District with a small fleet.
The company will put 50 scooters out, targeting areas where people need it the most. Lime is also offering free 30-minute rides to health care workers.
“I think it’s the least we can do as a company to make sure we're showing our appreciate to them and making sure they can get to and from where they need to go,” said Robert Gardner, director of Government Relations for Lime.
It has been an ongoing war with the scooter companies in the District. Many companies were fighting to continue their operations the last few months. The District Department of Transportation recently made the decision to only allow Jump, Lyft, Skip and Spin to operate. That left Bird, Bolt, Lime and Razor forced out.
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However, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s declaration of a public health emergency changed that. According to DDOT’s Director Jeff Marootian, the transportation agency extended the 2019 Dockless Shared Vehicle Program through the end of 2020. That means all dockless electric scooter companies can continue their operations.
Meanwhile, Lime and other companies are ramping up cleaning efforts to make sure its riders stay safe during this time.
"We're doing everything humanly possible to make sure our vehicles are clean safe and not transmitting COVID 19," said Garnder.