Revel, the electric moped startup that was suspended by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier this summer after three people died as a result of accidents that took place while they were using the service, returns to the Big Apple on Thursday.
Some 360,000 city residents who have registered to use the app will once again be able to hop on the shareable vehicles that can travel up to speeds of 30mph, but this time there will be a greater emphasis on safety education.
Riders will need to take a selfie showing them and another passenger wearing a helmet. The selfie would then need to be uploaded into the app so that a Revel employee could review the photo and approve it within 15 minutes.
Riders won’t be able to use old photos. Anyone caught riding without a helmet will be suspended for seven days on the first offense. Another violation will result in a permanent suspension.
Revel, the moped rideshare, will resume service in New York City beginning on Thursday after a one-month suspension
The app will now require riders to ace a 21-question safety test twice before being allowed to use the moped
Revelers will also be required to upload a selfie showing them wearing a helmet before they are allowed to ride
‘If you think it’s funny to take a photo without a helmet or take a photo of your foot, at first you’ll be temporarily suspended for seven days, and then after that, you’re gone forever,’ Revel co-founder and CEO Frank Reig told The New York Times.
‘So we give you one shot to learn, to realize, like, we’re not joking.’
Moped users will also need to ace a 21-question test before they are allowed to hit the road - and they must do so twice.
Riders will also be required to watch a three-minute tutorial video featuring Brandon, a ‘lesson specialist’ who shows users how to use turn signals, accelerate, and find the helmet.
The company is also introducing a stricter suspension policy for anyone found to have violated safety rules.
Anyone caught riding without a helmet faces either a suspension from the app or mandatory safety training as a requirement for reinstatement.
Revel users are also not permitted to share their account with someone else. Anyone who violates this rule will be permanently banned from the service.
Riders are also not permitted to operate a moped with anyone under the age of 18 as a passenger. A first offense will result in a temporary suspension, while another violation triggers permanent suspension.
The service is also seeking to crack down on moped riders running red lights and stop signs as well as those who drive the wrong way down a one-way street.
Revel said it will employ GPS technology to detect riders who drive on one-way streets or illegally enter any of the city’s parks.
Anyone who does so faces suspension on the first offense and a permanent ban on the second violation.
The company will also ban anyone who drives the moped on a sidewalk or other pedestrian walkway; drives on a highway or any roadway with a speed limit that exceeds 40mph; or is found to have operated the moped recklessly.
‘There’s no more excuses anymore, like, “Oh, you mean that you have to stop at the stoplight?” Yes, you do,’ said Reig, 34.
‘And if you don’t, we’re going to have a pretty strict policy of taking you off the service.’
Revel is readily accessible to anyone with a driver’s license, but since the vehicles have a maximum speed limit of 30mph, riders aren’t required to get a motorcycle license.
The service returns after a one-month suspension brought on by three fatal crashes within a 10-day period earlier this summer.
Revel co-founder and CEO Frank Reig, 34, says the service will ban riders who are repeat offenders of new safety rules
Revel has also been named in a dozen lawsuits filed by New Yorkers over alleged safety lapses.
On July 18, WCBS-TV reporter Nina Kapur died after she was involved in a moped crash.
She was being driven by a 26-year-old man in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, who said he swerved to avoid a car pulling out of a parking spot, according to unnamed police sources.
Both Kapur and the driver were thrown onto the roadway, and it's believed neither were wearing helmets.
They were taken to Bellevue Hospital where Kapur was pronounced dead.
On July 28, Jeremy Malave, 32, died after crashing his Revel moped in Queens.
Malave was said to have been driving alone in Queens at around 3:15am when he hit a light pole in a center median.
He was found by medics with severe head trauma before being rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Francis Nunez, 30, of the Bronx died on August 4 after crashing his Revel moped on July 25.
Police say he wasn't wearing a helmet while transporting a passenger when he crashed into a pole in Washington Heights.
He was rushed to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and died a week later.
Statistics show that Revel users were most likely to get into accidents late at night, which is why Revel’s resumption of service on Thursday will only be limited to the hours of 5am until midnight - at least for the next 60 days.
The app will not be available in the overnight hours.
The resumption of service comes at an opportune time for the company, which has seen the popularity of its app skyrocket during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since New Yorkers are wary of returning to the subways, many have embraced the moped alternative.
Between May and July, Revel added some 200,000 new users.
Former WCBS-TV reporter Nina Kapur died on July 18 after a moped she was riding on as a passenger was involved in a crash. On July 28, Jeremy Malave , 32, died after crashing his Revel moped in Queens
Kapur was being driven by a 26-year-old man in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, who said he swerved to avoid a car pulling out of a parking spot, according to unnamed police sources
As of Thursday, the company has 360,000 registered users in New York City.
The mayor’s office said it will keep a close watch on the new moped rollout.
‘New Yorkers deserve more mobility options, and we’ve focused on welcoming a safer, more accountable service to city streets,’ said de Blasio spokesperson Mitch Schwartz.
‘But dangerous operations will not be tolerated; we’re watching closely for reckless practices, and we won’t hesitate to suspend shared moped services the moment we see them.
‘We’ve worked hard to make our streets safe, and we won’t turn back now.’
Revel, a Brooklyn-based startup which got off the ground two years ago, recently expanded into Manhattan, Queens, and The Bronx.
Riders get access to the ride-share scooters for a one-time fee of $5 and are charged 35 cents per minute of driving time.
Passengers cost an additional $1. Revel provides an instructional video for all members upon signing up, as well as an in-person course, which is optional.
