Bird, Lime, Gotcha and Spin electric scooters coming to Durham

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Since October 2018, Durham city officials have worked to develop a plan to bring electric scooters to the Bull City. Now four different companies - Bird, Lime, Gotcha and Spin - will drop off 200 scooters each to start.

"We want to make sure that this mode of travel is available to all users in Durham," Durham officials said.

And starting Thursday, that will be possible.

"Durham has been an appealing market for us for a really long time. Gotcha already has a footprint in the area. We're really excited to be here," said Krista Dewolfe, Gotcha.

"We see them as a great opportunity for people replacing short car trips," said Bill Judge, transportation director.

Riders will have to keep scooters off the sidewalks and greenway trails and they're expected to follow local traffic laws.

"We encourage riders to make smart decisions when they are using the scooters.

You should be careful of the speed that you're riding," said Dale McKeel, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator.

The city is hoping to make scooters accessible for everyone. Part of the requirement for companies is to have 20 percent of their scooters fleet in areas with low income families.