This time last year, Texas cities like Austin and Dallas were struggling to deal with hundreds of electric scooters on their streets and sidewalks. Now, with most people staying home because of the coronavirus pandemic, companies like Lime, Bird and Lyft are less worried about local regulations and more focused on a fight for survival.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga told Texas Standard host David Brown on Thursday that several scooter companies have laid off workers since COVID-19 started to spread more widely in the United States in March. But some companies were having trouble even before that.
“We were already starting to see some companies go under and pull back, as far back as December and January,” Gallaga said.
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– Why scooter companies say their product is useful during the pandemic
– What one city is doing to regulate scooters now
– How scooter companies are helping first responders
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