As 'dockless' bicycles continue to grow in popularity in the district, another vehicle of the same format has now entered the transportation scene in DC. This time it's scooters.
"Waybots," new electric dockless scooters, are now available in the district, as the city begins a testing period. The company is currently testing a "small number" of these scooters to make sure the systems are working correctly.
WUSA9 tracked down one of these scooters to take it for a test run. The way they work is fairly simple. There are two triggers on the handle bar. The one of the right makes the scooter accelerate, and the one of the left makes it break.
"We would love to serve more DC residents in the future," said Sanjay Dastoor, a spokesperson for the company. "But first we want to make sure that we are providing riders with a great experience."
The scooters have a base fee of $1 for the first minute of use, and then it costs an additional 15 cents for every minute after that. That means a 30 minute trip would cost just over $5.
The scooters have a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour, although it varies based on your weight. They have a battery life that lasts 20 miles, and the battery level is remotely monitored by the company to insure that all scooters have a sufficient charge, before they can be checked out.
How long until these scooters end up stranded in the middle of a pond, like some poor dockless bikes? Only time will tell.
