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Lime responds to Reno's cease-and desist after scooter launch

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - UPDATE: The City of Reno has filed a cease-and-desist notice (see attached) against Lime, the company behind LimeBike and the Lime scooters released in Reno the morning of September 18, 2018.

The city released this statement:

"The City of Reno is stunned and disappointed at the recent actions of Lime. The premature launch of electric scooters in our region was disingenuous and irresponsible.

"Lime notified the five partners about the launch at 10 p.m. last evening. To our surprise, the scooters hit the streets this morning.

"In the City of Reno, Lime e-scooters fit the definition of “moped” under Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) and therefore must comply with all motor vehicle laws. Public safety is the city’s top priority, and Lime has chosen to put scooter riders in danger without regard to state law.

"Legal staff and the Reno Police Department were already thoughtfully studying local ordinances, NRS, and other regulations before the official launch.

"Lime presented to Reno City Council on September 12, 2018, and indicated they would gather more information and update the Council again prior to launching the scooters. It is the City’s intention to still have that discussion at the next Council meeting on September 26, 2018.

"We must now unfortunately explore all options to keep our citizens safe, and continue to keep every business accountable if they violate the law. A cease and desist letter was sent to Lime earlier today demanding that deployment and operations of electric scooters end immediately."

In response, Lime sent a statement:

"We are interested in working with the City and all of our partners in Northern Nevada to ensure continued services and the best result for all. We believe the code authorizes scooter operations under our franchise agreement. We are committed to work with the city to find a solution.

"We hear the city’s request to C&D and will not deploy tomorrow. However, some community members have already seized on the economic opportunity of charging our scooters and will be deploying in the morning. We will collect those as quickly as possible and hope to have productive conversations with the city as quickly as possible.”

ORIGINAL STORY: Lime launched its fleet of electric scooters in Reno Tuesday, September 18, 2018. The company introduced its bikeshare in the region in May, and says there was interest from the community to expand the fleet..

“This community has spoken and we’re thrilled to meet the growing demand for transportation alternatives,” said Lime City Launcher and General Manager Cesar Cardona. “At lime, we’re committed to helping people from all walks of life find reliable, environmentally friendly and low cost ways to get where they need to go.”

The stand-up scooters are already operational in more than 30 cities throughout the US and Europe, including South Lake Tahoe.

A fleet of scooters was deployed throughout the city Tuesday morning.

To find and use a scooter or a bike, riders can download the free Lime app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. For more information, click here.