Matt O’Brien/Associated Press
- Uber is temporarily pulling its Jump electric bikes off the road in Providence, Rhode Island.
- This decision comes after a number of reported assaults in August that have been linked to the e-bike ride-sharing program.
- The company hopes to start returning some of the bikes in the fall.
- Visit the Business Insider homepage for more stories.
Uber is temporarily pulling its dockless e-bikes from Providence, Rhode Island following reports of misuse.
Several bikes have been damaged or used during criminal activity according to local media reports. Pulling the bikes will allow Uber and the Providence Police Department to locate and retrieve stolen bikes, Uber said in an emailed to statement to Business Insider.
"Safety is at the heart of everything we do, and after acts of vandalism on JUMP bikes, we have decided in partnership with the City, to temporarily remove bikes from operation in Providence," Uber spokesperson Harry Hartfield said.
Last week, a 41-year-old man was struck in the head and held at gunpoint by a man on a Jump bike demanding money, according to the news publication the Providence Journal. A few days later, a woman told police she saw kids riding Jump bikes while slashing the tires on cars, WPRI reported.
Local police are investigating reports that the kids used the bikes to block traffic. They are also accused of stealing from a Dollar Tree store, and assaulting two random victims, officials said.
The Providence Police Department did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Read more: Uber says it’s raising prices on its dockless e-bike fleet in several US cities
Hartfield, the Uber spokesman, said the company plans to "work with the City and public safety officials and the PD to find solutions that can work for Providence and bring bikes back."
The company hopes to return some of the bikes this fall.
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Source: Business Insider – bchang@businessinsider.com (Brittany Chang)