Gotcha Mobility

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Gotcha Mobility, later Gotcha (Powered by Bolt) is a micromobility bikeshare and scooter rental service which operates in Birmingham under a Birmingham micromobility ordinance that was passed by the Birmingham City Council in February 2020.

Gotcha Mobility, based in Charleston, South Carolina, was acquired by OjO Electric of Santa Monica, California for $12 million in March 2020, and operated alongside its OjO rideshare platform under the Last Mile Holdings banner. In late 2020 Last Mile sold its assets at auction. Bolt Mobility of Miami, Florida, co-founded by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, paid approximately $3 million for those assets in January 2021 and hired several Gotcha employees.

Meanwhile, Gotcha had secured a permit to provide services in Birmingham in November 2020 and announced that it would lease offices space at the M2 development backing up to the Jones Valley Trail on 1st Avenue South. The company's service began operating in the city in July 2021. The company never opened its planned office. In August 2022 Bolt Mobility scaled back its operations.

Gotcha's fleet of turquoise-branded micromobility devices includes 50 e-bicycles and 100 standing (kick) scooters. Bicycles and scooters are not allowed to ride on sidewalks and must follow all traffic laws. Scooters are limited to 15 miles per hour. The initial service area stretched from Birmingham-Southern College in College Hills to 56th Street South in Woodlawn, and from Red Mountain to Finley Boulevard.

Decals on Gotcha devices can be scanned by a smartphones, prompting new users to download an app for payment. The app shows the locations of available devices and drop-off points. Initial pricing was $1 plus $0.35/minute for bicycles and scooters. Leaving a device outside of designated parking corrals incurs a $2 "convenience fee" to offset the cost to Gotcha to restock it.

Bicycles are available 24 hours a day, while scooters are limited to 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Scooter operators must have a valid driver's license and be 19 years old. Helmets are encouraged, but not required.

References

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