Revel moped (Wikipedia)
July 28, 2020 By Allie Griffin
The moped-sharing company Revel has shut down its service in New York City today after a second fatal crash occurred in ten days.
Revel announced it would shut down service in the city until further notice just hours after a 32-year-old man died by crashing a Revel scooter into a lamppost in Rego Park early this morning.
“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,” the company posted 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.
— Revel (@_GoRevel) July 28, 2020
The Brooklyn man’s death follows the death of local New York City reporter Nina Kapur on July 18.
Kapur was a passenger on a Revel scooter driven by a 26-year-old man when she was killed. The driver reportedly swerved, which caused both people to be thrown from the moped, police said.
Kapur, 26, was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She is believed to be the first Revel rider to die in New York City.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city talked with the CEO of Revel this morning about the uptick in fatal crashes.
“We’ve had two fatalities in [about] a week,” he said at a morning press briefing. “This is an unacceptable state of affairs.”
The city made clear to Revel that the situation is unsatisfactory and unacceptable, he said.
“We will not allow them to reopen unless we are convinced it can be done safely,” de Blasio said.
The city will work with the rideshare company to improve its safety, he added.
Revel first launched in three Brooklyn neighborhoods in 2018 and expanded throughout Brooklyn and Queens last year. In March, the company brought its scooters to Manhattan.
