SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - In an effort to drive environmentally-friendly urban commuting, bike and scooter sharing companies have rolled into San Diego County — creating some headaches along the way.
With the travel alternative, though, has come a glimpse into a greener future for congested roadways.
Though in San Diego since February, ofo officially joined the city's expanding field of dockless bike and scooter options Monday. The company joins competing options Bird, LimeBike, MoBike, and DecoBike.
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"Having ofo in San Diego is a boon for our region,” Colin Parent, Executive Director for Circulate San Diego, said. "As transportation advocates, we welcome ofo to San Diego as an innovative solution to meeting San Diego’s environmental goals and providing transportation options."
Riders simply download the ofo mobile app, scan the QR code on the bike to unlock it, and they're on their way. Rides run $1 an hour, according to ofo. When finished, riders safely — and legally — park the bike and manually lock it to end the trip.
Safely and legally means placing the bike out of the way of traffic and people walking or biking themselves.
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The Boardwalk stretching from Mission Bay to Pacific Beach is a prime example of both the pitfalls and ease of use, as users glide along but also run into congestion among walkers, runners, and skateboarders.
Witnesses have told 10News they've seen scooter riders not wearing a helmet and people riding where they're not supposed to, in addition to bikes left only to block others.
San Diego Police said the dockless bike and scooter movement is so new they haven't had the ability yet to issue citations and track riders.
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