A new “electrical vehicle share” service has just hit the streets of Lubbock.
“What a million-dollar idea I didn’t come up with,” Dalton Whieck, a student at Texas Tech, said.
The electric scooters are called “Birds,” and they are scattered throughout the Hub City. The creators of the Bird app said the scooters are a low-cost, environmentally friendly mode of transportation.
The app launched in September of 2017 but just arrived in Lubbock this week.
“It just makes it a lot easier to get to and from class and just go around town,” Hari Goloapally, a student at Texas Tech, said.
All riders have to do is download the app on their phones. From there, they will look for available scooters, go and pick it up, then they are ready to ride.
“Try it out. It’s been fun especially on hot days like this when Lubbock is looking nice,” Whieck said.
The app creators said they will send riders a free helmet if they request it. But riders said they know it’s ride-at-your-own risk.
“When you’re setting it up, it pops up info that you’re riding at your own risk. Be safe of your surroundings,” Whieck said.
Once riders have made it to their destination, they are free to leave the scooter there in a safe, parked spot. The app creators said once the sun begins to set, they have local people on pay who come and pick up the scooters to charge them overnight.