Jun 7, 2018 - Energy & Environment

Uber and Lyft want to roll out scooters in San Francisco

Photo: Thomas Trutschel/Getty Images

Uber wants to get into the scooter business in San Francisco and is submitting an application for the city's upcoming pilot program, the company confirmed to Axios on Thursday. Lyft also tells Axios that it's applied as well.

Why it matters: Electric scooter services are all the rage, and after acquiring bike-sharing startup Jump in April, Uber wants to deploy them as part of its plans to provide a variety of transportation options to customers. Lyft has also shown interest in going beyond cars.

Competition: San Francisco's transportation agency will dole out up to five permits to scooter companies, so Uber and Lyft will be vying with scooter startups like Bird, Lime, and Spin.

Update: The story has been updated to reflect that Lyft has also confirmed that it applied for a permit.

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