E-Scooter Firm Bird Trials Electric Wheelchair & Mobility Scooter Rentals In NYC
Image via Bird
Bird, a company known for its electric scooters, is making plans to move into the accessibility space. It has teamed up with Scootaround, a leader in personal transportation solutions, to pilot a new program that will help persons with mobility issues access eco-friendly transportation.
Persons with disabilities will be able to find, reserve, and pay for one of three accessible vehicles on the Bird app. Members will receive pricing discounts and be able to access vehicles unavailable elsewhere, such as Bird’s WHILL Model Ci2 power chair.
Users can choose to rent an accessible vehicle for one to 14 days, with convenient pickup and dropoff locations, as per Engadget. On the day of pickup, users will also receive a full, in-person tutorial to get them acquainted with how to use, charge, and store the electric vehicle.
This new program will first be rolled out in New York City this summer, with plans for it to expand to other cities in the US throughout 2021.
“Scootaround and Bird share the fundamental belief that personal, accessible mobility should be available to everyone who needs it. As micro-mobility options such as shared bikes and scooters continue to expand, we must ensure the benefits of these improved transportation networks be made as wide available as possible, including to persons with disabilities,” said Kerry Renaud, CEO of Scootaround.
[via Engadget and Bird, cover image via Bird]
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