The ride-sharing scooter company Revel has temporarily suspended its services in New York City while the company reassesses safety protocols following two deadly accidents. On July 28, the scooter service sent out the following message on Twitter: New York riders - starting today, NYC service will be shut down until further notice. We’re reviewing and strengthening our rider accountability and safety measures and communicating with city officials, and we look forward to serving you again in the near future. A local CBS broadcast journalist died after falling off a Revel moped on July 18. The victim, 26-year-old Nina Kapur, was riding on the back of the moped, which was being driven by an unidentified 26-year-old man at the time of the accident. Revel provides riders with two helmets each time they rent a moped, but neither Kapur nor the driver was wearing them. Kapur died at Bellevue Hospital on the same day. The driver only suffered minor injuries. Just ten days after Kapur’s death, 32-year-old Jeremy Malave died after he crashed his Revel scooter into a light pole and suffered severe head trauma in Queens. Officials are unsure whether he was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Some state officials, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), called for Revel to suspend and reevaluate their practices, according to Fox News. On Twitter, Espaillat called for the scooters to be removed from city streets, suggesting that they presented a clear danger to motorists, riders, and pedestrians. Mayor de Blasio said that Revel agreed to suspend operations after meeting with him on July 28. Before its suspension, Revel allowed anyone 21 and older to operate the scooter when they provide a valid driver's license and pay a small fee. No one younger than 18 was allowed to ride on the moped. New York City requires riders to wear helmets within city limits, but many Revel riders were often spotted without the helmets provided with each scooter. The suspension comes just weeks after Revel suspended 1,000 New York City riders for not cooperating with the company’s safety guidelines. Prior to the suspension, Revel told the New York Times that Kapur’s death was the first fatality the company had seen in over 3 million rides.
Scooter Company Revel Suspends NYC Operations After Fatal Crashes