You can’t miss their bright lime green color but Charlotte is putting the brakes on the popular bike rideshare company. Just one day after LimeBikes launched a motor scooter program, the city issued a cease and desist order.
LimeBike’s rideshare program has made it cost effective for people to get around town.
“Uber is expensive, so why spend $8 on uber and do $2 on a bike,” LimeBike rider Jordan White said.
Limeboke’s newest option is an electric scooter, but the city says they’re operating illegally.
Citing they are not allowed in right of ways and no agreed safety guidelines have been drafted.
“It’s almost like a motorcycle. Or a moped. Sometimes those have to be registered, you have to go through classes to drive them. They have to treat them just like a car because they are motorized. They can do more damage than a bike,” Dilworth Resident Bob Murphy said.
The scooters require operators to be 18 or older, wear a helmet and require you to have a license.
“Even though it’s motorized, I feel like it’s not a motorcycle or a moped. It is in its own category,” White said.
We’ve asked the Charlotte Department of Transportation what other safety requirements the rideshare company would need. They answered with this statement:
We are working to ensure community safety and appropriate education for the traveling public. Moving forward, the city of charlotte is communicating with scooter-sharing companies to evaluate options and establish safety guidelines.
