Curtains For Ojo In Hoboken; City Cancels E-Scooter Contract

HOBOKEN, NJ — Ojo has 48 hours to get all of its e-scooters out of Hoboken, the city’s mayor announced Thursday.

According to Mayor Ravi Bhalla, the company’s contract to provide e-scooters to the city as part of its six-month pilot program has been terminated. As of 3 p.m. on Sept. 12, Ojo scooters will no longer be rentable in Hoboken.

Ojo, along with Lime, were selected to provide vehicles for the pilot program, which kicked off in May 2019, and has seen numerous complaints about safety from local residents and commuters. Ojo was initially permitted for 50 scooters in Hoboken.

Lime will be allowed to continue to operate in the city, Bhalla said.

Bhalla offered the following explanation of Thursday’s decision on Ojo:

“The electric scooter sharing programs have been widely popular in Hoboken, and have provided a valuable, green alternative transportation method utilized by tens-of-thousands of riders. At the same time, the safety and well-being of our residents is my number one priority. That’s why today, after listening to the concerns of residents, and an evaluation of the Ojo scooter program over the past three months, I’ve decided to terminate the contract. We expect that any transportation company, including e-scooters, provide adequate education, enforcement and adapt with the appropriate technology to safely operate on our streets. Unfortunately, this has not occurred with Ojo.”

The city's decision comes a day after an Ojo scooter struck a mother walking her child in a stroller on 8th and Clinton streets. Neither the woman or her baby sustained serious injuries, the Hudson County View reported.

Bhalla added that his administration remains committed to “sustainable transportation options,” along with the implementation of protected bike lanes.

The mayor also offered praise for Lime’s willingness to work with local authorities in the name of safety.

“I appreciate Lime’s continued efforts to improve the e-scooter sharing experience for all users and look forward to working with them to making even more improvements throughout the remainder of the pilot period,” Bhalla said.

OJO: WE'RE 'EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED'

A spokesperson for Ojo offered Patch the following statement about the contract cancellation.

According to Ojo:

"The accident that occurred in Hoboken yesterday afternoon, involving a pedestrian and their child, is severe and upsetting. At Ojo we remain committed to safety. We are extremely disappointed with Mayor Ravi Bhalla's decision and are willing to work with the mayor and City of Hoboken to address their concerns and pedestrian safety.

"Besides this extremely serious and unfortunate accident involving pedestrians and one of our Ojoscooters, our product has proven to be a safe product in Hoboken since the beginning of our launch in May.

"We in fact launched in Hoboken with geofence technology that is currently used for virtual docking stations so people don’t leave scooters parked all over the city blocking sidewalks. Based on ongoing pilot feedback and changes to the original scope of work requirements, we made product enhancements and are days away from launching our Ojo 2.0 with updated geofencing technology that not only enforces no ride zones and speed restricted zones at 8/10/12/15/18 mph, but also provides audio alerts to riders so they understand the restrictions on locations and speed controls.

"Like all vehicles, those who operate them are responsible for their actions, and we are working diligently to hold the rider responsible and provide all information required to the proper authorities."

• See related article: Ojo Was 'Good Partner' To Hoboken On E-Scooter Pilot, Official Says

E-SCOOTERS IN HOBOKEN

Hoboken's e-scooter pilot launched in May and will continue until Nov. 20. (Learn how to safely ride one of the vehicles in Hoboken)

The ubiquitous devices are catching on like wildfire in the Mile Square City, according to Lime, which saw the "highest ridership per scooter" in its worldwide markets after the pilot program launched. Since Lime and Hoboken began the pilot program in Hoboken in late May, more than 60,000 unique riders have taken over 400,000 rides. More than 17,000 users have taken at least five rides on Lime e-scooters.

As usage rates soar, city officials, Lime and Ojo have issued repeated calls for local e-scooter enthusiasts to travel safely, offering information about the proper way to ride and where to park.

• See related article: Hoboken Rolls Out E-Scooters (Learn The Rules Of The Road)

But despite the safety tips, social media reports of e-scooter riders putting others in danger have flooded the internet.

On June 19, an event that many people had been heralding finally took place: Hoboken's first e-scooter-related arrest.

According to the Hoboken Police Department, while directing traffic in the area of Newark and Hudson Street at 12:43 p.m., an officer saw a man riding an e-scooter opposite the flow of traffic. As the officer watched, the rider struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk. When the officer stopped to help the pedestrian, the rider fled the scene on his e-scooter. Ignoring the officer's commands to stop, he continued riding away from the scene opposite the flow of traffic. Police eventually caught up and arrested him a short distance away, authorities said.

The pedestrian suffered an injured ankle, police said.

• See related article: Hoboken Sees First E-Scooter Rider Arrest Amid 'Record' Usage Rates

Recently, Hoboken officials announced that the city is reworking its deals with Lime and Ojo. In a statement to the media, council members Tiffanie Fisher and Mike DeFusco said public safety concerns about the trial program fueled the resolution.

• See related article: Hoboken Rebooting E-Scooter Deals With Lime, Ojo Amid Complaints

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