Ojo Was ‘Good Partner’ To Hoboken On E-Scooter Pilot: Official

HOBOKEN, NJ — E-scooter provider Ojo has been responsive to feedback, is willing to make adjustments mid-stream and has been an overall “good partner” to Hoboken. These were the words of the city’s director of transportation and parking… just three days before local officials pulled the plug on the company’s contract.

On Sept. 12, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla announced the city has terminated its contract with Ojo, one of two companies selected to help run the city’s experimental, e-scooter pilot program. While the other involved provider, Lime, will be allowed to continue operating in Hoboken, Bhalla gave Ojo 48 hours to get its 50 vehicles out of the city.

The mayor argued that Ojo has failed to provide adequate education and enforcement about how to ride e-scooters in Hoboken, and hasn’t adapted the appropriate technology to safely operate in the Mile Square City.

The city's decision came a day after someone riding 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.

• See related article: Curtains For Ojo In Hoboken; City Cancels E-Scooter Contract

However, according to a Sept. 9 reference letter from the Hoboken Director of Transportation and Parking Ryan Sharp – issued just three days before the city canceled Ojo’s contract – the company was holding up its end of the deal.

Sharp wrote:

“Ojo is currently operating 50 scooters in Hoboken and partners with JerseyBike (Hoboken’s bike share operator) to offer a rideshare program with virtual docking stations at existing JerseyBike bike station locations throughout Hoboken which helps keep the Ojo scooters orderly and away from the middle of sidewalks and crosswalk ramps. During the pilot period, Ojo has been very responsive to the feedback and recommendations of the City of Hoboken and has made substantive adjustments mid-pilot to better serve the city, its citizens, and Ojo Electric riders. The team at Ojo regularly attends stakeholder meetings with the city as we continue to assess the best solutions for the mobility options here in Hoboken. Ojo has proved to be a good partner during the pilot program period working closely with the city on a variety of safety and education initiatives to help ensure the overall success of the pilot program. Ojo submits its reports on time, worked with our team on MDS data integration, and numerous educational initiatives on the streets of Hoboken to promote safe riding covering the rules of engagement for all scooter riders.”

Asked to comment on Sharp’s letter of recommendation, a city spokeperson offered Patch the following reply: “We wish Ojo the best.”

• See related article: Hoboken Rebooting E-Scooter Deals With Lime, Ojo Amid Complaints
• See related article: Hoboken Sees First E-Scooter Rider Arrest Amid 'Record' Usage Rates
• See related article: Hoboken Rolls Out E-Scooters: Learn The Rules Of The Road

OJO: ‘WE UNDERSTAND THERE’S MORE WORK TO DO’

On Sept. 18, the Hoboken City Council is slated to discuss a proposed city law that would ban the riding of e-scooters along the waterfront walkway. Ojo CEO Max Smith is among the stakeholders expected to be at the meeting.

On Tuesday, Smith sent a letter to City Council President Jennifer Giattino, which follows below.

“I am writing regarding my planned appearance tomorrow before the Hoboken City Council on behalf of Ojo Electric, which since May 2019 has participated in Hoboken’s popular e-scooter pilot program, the first of its kind in the Tri-State area.

“As you know, Ojo is one of two companies selected to participate in Hoboken’s pilot program. Our scooters have become increasingly popular with local residents and workers alike, as we offer a new form of micromobility with a seated scooter that appeals to a wider audience. Our ridesharing service has built on Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s mission to provide more green transportation in Hoboken to empower and enable residents to travel around the city while reducing congestion and improving access to transit stations.

“To that end, as we stay focused on revolutionizing urban commuting, we understand that it’s imperative to do so with the right safety measures in place. That’s why we were troubled to learn that a rider recently violated our clearly articulated code of conduct, resulting in a deeply unfortunate accident that thankfully did not lead to any serious injuries. In light of this event, tomorrow’s hearing will include a discussion about Ojo’s partnership with the city moving forward.

“We understand that it is not unreasonable for public officials to suspend Ojo service in Hoboken as we keep working diligently and transparently to enhance our rider identification technology in a manner that further maximizes safety for riders and the local community. In fact, there have been cases in the past where Ojo itself has chosen to suspend service in order to improve rider education.

“At the same time, we believe that the importance of taking a step back to continue improving our service must be weighed alongside the obvious benefits of ensuring a future for docked scooter accessibility in a city where there exists a clear and rapidly growing demand for that service among residents and workers. Additionally, we believe it is important for the mayoral administration in Hoboken to clarify what prompted its recent course of action – which occurred without prior discussion with our team – so there can be a clearer criteria set regarding any issues with or questions regarding our service.

“That’s why we’ve already made significant investments to enhance our scooter hardware and Ojo app software, including equipping each scooter with active GPS tracking, all weather tires, and rear LED brake lights. It’s why we’ve partnered with the likes of P3GM – a global smart city development company – to collaborate on best practices for protecting the public’s right-of-way. Additionally, we are now prepared to launch our new V2 scooter, which utilizes advanced geofence technology – including audible safety alerts – and will enable scooters to automatically turn off when they’re being ridden near the waterfront and other prohibited areas, as well as restricting the speed of our scooters in wherever required.

“We understand there is more work to do.

“As we continue to evolve as a company, we will remain absolutely committed to maintaining an open and positive dialogue with Hoboken city officials. We feel that we have lived up to this commitment to date, particularly in light of a September 9 letter of reference signed by Hoboken’s Transportation & Parking Director, Ryan Sharp, which stated that Ojo has ‘proved to be a good partner’ and is ‘working closely with the city on a variety of safety and education initiatives to help ensure the overall success of the pilot program.’

“Our team greatly appreciates this opportunity to appear before the City Council and I look forward to attending tomorrow’s meeting to discuss our ongoing commitment to safety and take questions from you and your colleagues on this important subject.”

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