We are excited to share that Skip will resume operations in DC, Alexandria, and Arlington in the coming weeks. We’re doing so with revamped safety procedures, monitoring, and transparency that raises the bar for safety in the industry.
We want a flawless safety track record, but we’ve made some mistakes in the past. In June, we identified at-risk batteries in a few scooters and proactively quarantined them in our warehouse. In DC, they weren’t disposed of properly, which helped create the right conditions for a single-alarm fire. After the incident, DDOT asked us to suspend operations. Frankly, that was the right call.
We didn’t just let our cities and riders down, we let ourselves down.
Over the last six weeks, we committed ourselves to completely revamping our safety approach. It started with consulting battery experts and OSHA compliance firms to implement new operations and audit procedures for handling and disposing of damaged or vandalized equipment in the field and at our warehouses. This audit resulted in the following actions:
- Real-time monitoring and alerting on a robust set of battery and vehicle diagnostics. Within hours, scooters are recovered and removed batteries are properly disposed — before they exhibit noticeable safety hazards
- Mandatory and ongoing safety education and certifications for all warehouse employees, with verification of safety practices by our central Trust & Safety team
- Comprehensive reporting to DDOT beyond just incidents, including tampering, vandalism, damage, fires, and electrical issues, but also voluntarily reporting our response — critical alerts, time to disposal, number of disposals, and injuries to employees.
After reviewing our audit and actions, DDOT greenlighted Skip to resume operations in DC. We are immensely grateful for the opportunity.
To our riders — thanks for your patience. The next ride is on us (details to come!).
To our partners at DDOT — thanks for continuing to work with us to improve operations for the entire industry.
To the entire DC community — we are excited to be back and serving all of you.
