Ridesharing giant Lyft is fighting to retain total control of the docked and dockless bike share market in San Francisco, the Verge reported Friday, and has filed a lawsuit that its contract prohibits the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) from issuing permits to competitors.
Per the San Francisco Chronicle, Motivate, which Lyft acquired for a reported $250 million last year, operates the docked Ford GoBike program under a 10-year contract with the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) signed in 2015. (The MTC program offers both regular and electric bikes in several cities, though the latter kind were pulled off the streets in April amid reports of braking problems and “dozens” of injuries.) The only competitor in San Francisco is Uber subsidiary Jump and its fleet of dockless bikes, which are operating under an 18-month pilot program that is due to expire soon; “Lyft said it granted a one-time exception to its exclusivity for that test,” according to the Chronicle.
