Electric scooter operator Skip is gearing up to appeal San Franciscos decision to deny the company a permit to operate in the city.
When the Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced the permit grantees in September, it came as a surprise to Skip, which had previously received a permit to operate as part of the citys pilot program.Ahead of the appeal hearing last Thursday, A Technology News Room caught up with Skip CEO Sanjay Dastoor to learn about the companys game plan and why he thinks it can prevail in a battle that other electric scooter providers have lost.Prior to the citys decision last year to grant permits to Lime, Ubers JUMP, Birds Scoot and Fords Spin, Skip was one of only two companies operating shared electric scooter services in San Francisco.
Leading up to the new permitting application process, Skip said it had been working to ensure its electronic locks would be fully integrated by the beginning of the new permit period, Dastoor told A Technology News Room.
The company did this with guidance from the SFMTA, so when Skip was denied a permit, the team was caught off guard.It was a huge surprise, Dastoor said.
We found out basically the same time as the press did that we didnt get that permit, so it was pretty surprising to all of us.