Scooter rental program marks one year in Sarasota

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Those ubiquitous green electric scooters zipping around Sarasota are celebrating their one-year anniversary of service, the city announced Thursday.

Veo, the company operating the rental service, is reporting record usage in Sarasota with nearly 150,000 rides to date since the program’s launch.

“The scooter and bike sharing program is part of the citywide mobility plan and we couldn’t be happier with the success of the program. It’s helping to take vehicles off the road,” said Steve Cover whose parking and mobility team carried out the City Commission’s vision to offer an alternative for first-mile and last-mile trips for visitors and residents.

The Veo program launched in March 2022 with a mixed fleet of 400 scooters and bicycles and increased to 550 vehicles to meet demand. Scooter and bike corrals are positioned throughout downtown, St. Armands Circle and North Sarasota.

“It’s an accessible and affordable way to make quick trips around the city,” said Mayor Kyle Battie. “Residents use the e-scooters to get to work, run errands and meet up with friends. And, for visitors, it’s a fun way to experience our beautiful city and leave the car behind.”

The vehicles can be activated to rent through the VeoRide app which is available in the App Store and Google Play.

Rental costs for scooters are $1 to unlock the unit and 37 cents per minute. Bike rentals are 50 cents per half hour. Hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Through its Veo Access program, the company also offers discounted rates to low-income users who qualify.

The scooters can only operate in certain areas and are prohibited on narrow and busy sidewalks. The company employs locally-based staff to repair and replace vehicles, return misplaced scooters and bikes to parking corrals, and respond to issues.

Many riders incorporate Veo and the City’s Bay Runner trolley to reach their destination, by taking a scooter then the trolley or vice versa for the first or last mile of their trip, the city said in a news release.

The City’s e-scooter/bike rental program and the Bay Runner were honored together in June by the International Parking & Mobility Institute with an Award of Excellence for innovation with a mobility program.

For more information about the e-scooter and bicycle rentals, visit VeoRide.com or call Veo at 855-836-2256.