Bike and scooter sharing have provided a transportation lifeline to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. These services allow people to get to work quickly and affordably, in a socially distant way, and without harming others. In fact, SPUR just published a report about how to regulate these services to deliver tremendous public benefit. Last week, however, a state assembly bill (AB 1286) emerged out of committee that would significantly increase the cost of providing bike- and scooter-sharing services and may force scooter companies to suspend service in California.
The most problematic provision in the bill would effectively require bike- and scooter-sharing companies to assume the liability for the damages caused by their riders — a standard that is applied to no other transportation rental service. Indeed, under federal law, car rental companies are shielded from any liability for damages resulting from their customer's use of rental vehicles. SPUR joins the City of Oakland, the City of San Jose, the Bay Area Council and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group in opposing this bill.
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