Revel announced Tuesday that it has ended its scooter rental service in New York after a series of recent injuries that have left two other people dead: the newest player in the industry dealing with protection issues.
“New York Runners: Starting today, the New York service will be closed until further notice,” the company said on Twitter, delivering a review and strengthening of the “duty of brokers and protective measures.”
The resolution came hours after a 31-year-old driving force from Queens lost his scooter and died.
CBS News reporter Nina Kapur also died in a twist of Revel’s fate on July 18 when the scooter on which the 26-year-old passenger crashed in Brooklyn.
The company came under scrutiny after Kapur’s death and hardened its driving force protection procedures, and told the New York Times on Sunday that it had suspended more than 2,000 Revel runners in the past six weeks.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was in talks with Revel’s executive leader after a series of recent scooter-related injuries, adding, “It’s too much.”
Congressman Adriano Espaillat, representing Manhattan, wrote a letter Monday to DMV leader Mark Schroeder urging the state to retrieve scooters from the streets.
“We are actively communicating with city officials and looking forward to serving the New York network in the near future,” a Revel spokesman told Forbes.
The scooter sharing company was introduced in 2018 in Brooklyn. Since then, the facilities have expanded to the district and Queens in 2019, arriving in Manhattan in March. Revel also operates in Washington, Florida, Texas and California. According to Revel, the closure will be New York only.
“New scooter companies take steps to curb inefficiencies and solve protection problems” (Wall Street Journal)
“The World of Remade Mobility” (Forbes)
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