Culture
Uber's Jump introduces electric rides with increased accessibility
It's a pilot program in San Francisco and if things are successful, we might see them in other cities, too.
One of the main attractive features of electric scooters and bikes is how seemingly accessible they are. They can be picked up from practically anywhere in major cities, dropped off at a location of your choosing, and they're fairly affordable.
But while they seem like a great fix for traffic-congested urban environments, some worry that electric scooters and bikes are not meant for everyone. In order to increase the accessibility of these electric vehicles, Uber's Jump is offering four new rides primarily meant for people with disabilities.
Adaptive rides — For now, the rides will be available in the Hayes Valley and Fisherman's Wharf residential area in San Francisco where people can rent the rides at local bike shops for 33 cents per minute. To be clear, the app does not show these rides (yet) so you'll have to pay via debit or credit — or just simple cash.
The new models for Jump include a scooter with a basket and three wheels as opposed to the regular two-wheeler. Another model is shaped like the average scooter but with two wheels on the front and one at the back.
For people with disabilities, these models (called Rassine and Drive ZooMe) offer increased adaptability and stability. They don't require kicking off the ground to move forward as both come with switches on the handlebars. Through this pilot program, Uber intends to understand how the public uses the models and how exactly it can improve the option through feedback.
What Uber says — "We’re committed to helping improve access to transportation for everyone in San Francisco," an Uber representative stated, "and we believe our adaptive scooters will do just that — especially for people who either don’t need mobility assistance at home, or don’t qualify for home scooter purchase programs, but who still face limited options in public."