Shared Bikes And Scooters Now Available In Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, AL — One of two micromobility vendors has launched operations in Birmingham, providing shared bikes and scooters in a wide service area that includes downtown and many neighborhoods in the city.

Veo, an Illinois-based company with a presence in many cities around the nation, began operations today.

Individuals may download the Veo app to identify available bikes and scooters and pay for rentals. The city's Department of Transportation has established more than 90 corrals throughout the service area in the city. Veo will deploy up to 500 devices in the first 90 days of operations. Both the number of devices and service area may expand based on an assessment by the Department of Transportation.

Users may pay for their ride on the Veo app by credit/debit card or with a prepaid debit card.

Bikes will be available at any time. Scooters will be not be available from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Under the city ordinance and in keeping with current traffic laws, bikes and scooters will not be allowed on sidewalks. Police officers can write citations for those who ride on the sidewalk.

Bikes and scooters should be parked in recommended parking zones established by the city and identified with signage. Users who do not park in the recommended parking zones will be charged a $2 convenience fee by the vendor. Veo will be responsible for removing bikes or scooters that have not been left in appropriate locations.

Scooters will have a maximum speed of 15 mph.

Users must be 19 years old to operate scooters and have a government-issued driver's license. Parents can provide permission for a user who is 18.

While users are not required to wear helmets, they are strongly encouraged.

The City of Birmingham approved the applications for Veo and Gotcha powered by Bolt in November. Gotcha powered by Bolt will begin operations in the coming weeks.

The return of micromobility options in the city follows approval in 2020 of an ordinance allowing the operation of motorized scooters in the city. The approved vendors pay the city an administrative fee of $20 per device. Vendors also pay a fee for the city to establish corrals throughout the service area.