Italy fines Rome e-scooter firms Bird, Dott and Lime €2.7 million
Italian Competition Authority Sanctions E-Scooter Operators
(This story has been corrected to say €2.7 million not €2.7 billion in paragraph 1)
Details of the Fines
ROME, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Italy's competition authority has fined e-scooter and e-bike operators Bird, Dott and Lime a total of almost €2.7 million ($3.12 million) for unfair commercial practices, it said in a statement on Thursday.
Access Issues for Public Transport Pass Holders
• The regulator said the three companies had made it unduly difficult for holders of annual public transport passes in Rome to access free ride packages to which they were entitled.
Breakdown of Fines
• Uber-backed Lime was fined €1.4 million, Dott €525,000 and Bird €750,000.
Company Responses
• The three micromobility operators did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Regulator's Findings and Additional Sanctions
User Request Management Issues
• Bird, Dott and Lime had inadequate systems to manage user requests, causing long delays in activating the passes and reducing the time available to use them, the regulator said.
Account Deactivation Allegations
• It also sanctioned Bird for a separate alleged unfair practice of arbitrarily deactivating user accounts without prior warning.
Contractual Obligations
• The free ride benefit for annual pass holders was part of the terms under which the firms won the 2023-2026 service contract for the city of Rome.
Currency Conversion
($1 = 0.8665 euros)
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Sara Rossi, editing by Alvise Armellini)
