Micromobility operation fees become law in Honolulu

Honolulu Mayor, Kirk Caldwell, has signed a new bill into law that is designed to charge micromobility companies to do business on Oahu island, home to Honolulu, Hawaii’s state capital.

In a tweet, Caldwell said: “I signed Bill 44 into law, advancing our administration’s commitment to a multi-modal transit network for Honolulu and allowing Transportation NHL to regulate shared micro-mobility systems.”

“There’s going to be a $500 annual application renewal fee for every company that comes to town. But for every vehicle – for every bike, whether it be e-bike or pedal bike – it’s $30 per vehicle annually,” Caldwell said.

“We want to work with micro-mobility vehicles to be able to implement these legally and safely in our city. We’ve had a very successful bike-share programme already,” Council Member Joey Manahan added.

Bikeshare Hawaii, which manages Biki – described by Caldwell as the sixth largest bike-share in the U.S. and the primary micromobility service offered on Oahu – is exempt from the law until they can reach a new contract.

The bill is set to take effect by the end of December 2019.