Lime is rolling out an e-scooter commuter pass

Electric scooters are buzzing around Baltimore — and they’re newly permitted to do so, thanks to regulations that went into effect this year.

While the smiles we see indicate plenty of folks are having fun, Lime is increasingly finding that the e-scooters are increasingly being used for everyday matters like getting to work and running errands: The company reports that according to a rider survey, half of rides are being used for such tasks.

So, for frequent users, the company decided to roll out a new subscription service. LimePass lets riders to pay $5 for a weekly pass that allows unlimited unlocking for seven days.

“We know that more than 50% of our riders worldwide trust Lime for their commutes and personal daily trips around the city,” said Kevin Shi, product manager at Lime. “With our new LimePass service, we’re proud to offer them a more cost-efficient way to get around town and manage their busy schedules.”

With the subscription service, Lime is following in the footsteps of ridesharing services offering subscriptions. Lyft, for one, tested its model in Baltimore last year. And, of course, public transit services like MTA have long offered commuter rates.

Lime is one of four companies permitted to operate scooters by the city’s transportation department. The permits were one of the biggest e-scooter developments of 2019, as Bird notably had to pick up its flock, even after being the first to arrive. Offerings like LimePass show that as the services gain approval and legitimacy, they’re looking at new ways of packaging their offerings.