Locally Based Blue Duck Scooters May Cease Operations in San Antonio

The only locally owned company renting electric scooters in San Antonio may have missed the deadline to apply for a contract to keep offering the service here, according to Texas Public Radio.

Blue Duck Scooters didn't submit its application by the July 22 deadline, TPR reports, citing people familiar with the issue. The city expects to narrow the field of scooter competitors this fall, awarding just three contracts.

Blue Duck officials were unavailable for immediate comment.

"We are continuing to evaluate the responsiveness of the applications," city spokesman Jeff Coyle told the Current, adding that it's not revealed the list of filers and whether they met the deadline.

However, TPR reports that Lime, Lyft, Razor, Bird and VeoRide are among the companies that applied. Jump, a venture from rideshare giant Uber, pulled out of the city in June.

After initially taking a "light touch" regulatory approach, San Antonio has increasingly set rules reining in the use of e-scooters. Under new rules, three contract holders will be able to operate a total of 5,000 vehicles.

In addition to San Antonio, Blue Duck offers scooter rentals in Corpus Christi, Laredo and several Florida locations, according to media reports.

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