Uber and Lyft left fuming as Skip get the contract scoot to the future

David and Goliath, Uber and Lyft left fuming as Skip get the contract.

Sanjay Dastoor, CEO of Skip, a little known scooter start-up  that beat the likes of Uber and Bird to a lucrative city contract in San Francisco, said  “ I have been looking for an answer that is going to be a high-quality, collaborative and sustainable solution to the urban congestion crisis that is already upon us and getting worse. The old approach of tech companies to “move fast and break things” no longer works now that government and regulators, especially in fast-growing transportation market are becoming intolerant to bad behaviour.”

Skip was one of two companies awarded permits to operate a scooter hire scheme in San Francisco last week as the California city ignored applications from Uber, Lyft, Bird and Lime.

Mr Dastoor working with city authorities in Washington DC, Portland and now its hometown of San Francisco and never launching without explicit permission from regulators.

Mr Dastoor previously a co-founder of electric skateboard maker said “I don’t think there is going to be a winner-takes-all type of situation in this industry if your ability to operate is hampered by your approach to sealing quickly, in the long run, I don’t think that’s a winning strategy.

Skip is modifying bigger pre-made scooters to be more durable and plans to build its own custom scooters with a wider riding platform, full suspension and head /tail/brake lights for $1 plus $0.15 per minute hire price.