UPDATE (August 18, 2023):
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – City of Fort Wayne has denied the appeal by the scooter company Veo to keep operating in the city.
Earlier this month, the City said it sought to end the partnership citing concerns about safety concerns that it claimed were never addressed by Veo. The company appealed.
In a letter sent by Veo, the company said the City failed to offer Veo the opportunity to implement changes to comply with requests and that the company acted in good faith to implement additional rules.
However, the Right-of-Way Department said it reviewed and ultimately denied the appeal.
Veo will not be able to operate stand-up e-scooters and seated scooters in Fort Wayne effective September 4.
ORIGINAL STORY:
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The City of Fort Wayne will no longer allow Veo to operate stand-up e-scooters and seated scooters effective September 4.
The City said in a press release Tuesday that increasingly, residents and business owners have raised concerns about safety and proper usage and issues have arisen with some riders using scooters recklessly and negligently.
Veo has been notified of the impending change and that it will need to cease operations and remove its entire fleet inventory, according to the release.
The City of Fort Wayne released the following:
The decision to terminate the partnership was made in conjunction with research about similar shared mobility programs in other cities, both in Indiana and elsewhere.
In 2019, the City’s Right of Way Department issued a permit to Veo, a shared mobility company based in Chicago, for a pilot program of e-scooters and pedal bicycles. The goal was to increase transportation options, promote travel among local businesses and tourist attractions, encourage physical activity, improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion, and connect neighborhoods. The program started with about 300 e-scooters and 150 pedal bikes.
In 2022, the program continued with 500 stand-up scooters and 80 pedal bikes. In 2023, Veo replaced the pedal bikes with a seated scooter.
Veo has been responsible for all equipment and liability and no tax dollars were used to support the program.
Highlights of cities across Indiana that have made changes to e-scooter policies:
Bloomington—earlier in July 2023, the Board of Public Works approved a new application form for scooter company licensing and was reviewing whether scooter companies could be fined for illegal parking by their users.
Carmel—e-scooters prohibited; bike share launched in 2018.
Columbus—e-scooters prohibited; bike share launched in 2016 by their Parks Foundation ceased operations in 2019 because it was not sustainable.
Elkhart—had e-scooters operated by Bird in 2018, but company folded or pulled them from the City.
South Bend—Their agreement goes through the end of 2023, and they will be reassessing then. They require an annual license for the provider which costs $10,000. They have up to 200 scooters and no more than 15 e-bicycles. Multiple riders are prohibited from using a single source of payment. The shared mobility devices cannot go on the University of Notre Dame’s campus. In addition, Howard Park has geofencing that slows the speed of the scooters outside its area.
