Lime partially suspends its scooter service due to coronavirus
With people staying off the streets, the company is pulling its two-wheelers from 21 US states and several countries.
This story originally featured on Cycle Volta.
Lime announced Tuesday that it’s suspending its scooter sharing service in more than 21 US states, Canada, and select countries in Europe and the Middle East to encourage the public to stay indoors amid the COVID-19 virus outbreak.
“The COVID-19 virus is an unprecedented challenge facing cities and communities around the world. Like you, we are worried about the cities we love and call home, the people we serve, and our colleagues on the ground. Loving cities means protecting them too. For now, we’re pausing Lime service to help people stay put and stay safe,” Lime CEO and founder Brad Bao said in a press release.
In North America, Lime scooter sharing has been paused in Arkansas, California, Canada, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
In Europe, service was immediately suspended not only in Italy and Spain—where cycling has also been banned as public health agencies struggle to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus—but also in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Lime also halted service in Israel.
“Lime continues to closely monitor developments around the world and remains in coordination with health and regulatory authorities in more than 25 countries,” Bao said.
Service in the US continues in Charlotte, North Carolina, Corpus Christi, Texas, Denver, Colorado, Miami, Orlando,Tampa, Florida, and Washington, DC. Internationally, service remains in place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sydney and Brisbane, Australia, Budapest, Hungary, Seoul and Busan, South Korea, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, and Selwyn District, New Zealand, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile.
Lime stated Tuesday that it is more frequently and thoroughly cleaning its scooters—”cleaning all parts of the scooter that are touched by people, and we are only using products recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the Center for Biocide Chemistries list that have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for use against the coronavirus.”
In cities where its mobility services continue, Lime is urging users to wipe down share scooters and bikes with disinfectant before riding, and to wear gloves as an additional precaution.