Little Rock city leaders are planning to end the city's relationship with scooter company Lime, citing "disappointment" with the company's handling of rider safety since the dockless devices arrived less than a month ago, according to a letter obtained by the Democrat-Gazette on Wednesday.
The letter sent to the CEO of Neutron Holdings, Inc., which operates Lime scooters, said the city plans to end its agreement with the company on May 15, 2019, and "forego the pursuit of a superseding contract". The scooters were introduced as part of a six-month trial arranged by previous Mayor Mark Stodola.
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The company, which operates in a number of cities around the country, dropped off dozens of scooters around downtown Little Rock on Jan. 14.
In Little Rock, it's drawn several complaints from residents, including concerns about minors riding the scooters and others who say "safety provisions are largely lacking," the letter said.
"The City has been disappointed in Lime's lack of attention to the safety of its riders and pedestrians," read the letter, which was signed by Mayor Frank Scott Jr., city board members and other city officials.
City Attorney Tom Carpenter said the city sent the letter to Lime on Tuesday.
Todd O'Boyle, director of government relations in the Southeast for Lime, said in a prepared statement that the company is “committed to working with the City of Little Rock to renegotiate the terms of our pilot program.”
The statement stopped short at listing what those specific changes might be, but said the company wants to have a “mutually beneficial, long-term agreement."
The pilot program allowed for up to 500 scooters throughout the downtown area, following Lime’s initial deployment near and in the River Market.
Users rent the scooters for a fee using a mobile app and can travel up to 15 mph once aboard. The mobile app tracks where scooters are located around the city and users can leave the vehicles outside.
But the new trend appears to have hit roadblocks among residents, who have taken to social media to detail near-misses, minors riding in the streets and other safety worries.
Scott the city has received “numerous complaints” like these across the entire city while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
“The last thing we want is someone to use and misuse the scooters and we have a death, which is the worst case scenario,” Scott said.
The scope of injuries from scooter riders in Little Rock is difficult to track, but the city's main emergency room has yet to see any cases.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences spokeswoman Katrina Dupins said the hospital has not had patients who have needed treatment for scooter-related injuries.
The lack of injuries doesn’t necessarily mean people haven’t sought care elsewhere, she said.
Scott said the scooters’ instructions are at odds with city ordinances because they tell riders not to use the vehicles on sidewalks. City rules classify the scooters as mobility devices, which are banned from traveling on roads.
The mayor said he and other city officials were planning to require alternative transportation companies to submit formal proposals before coming to Little Rock.