Michigan State OKs contract with Gotcha for e-scooters on campus

EAST LANSING – The ride-share company Gotcha has struck another exclusive deal with Michigan State University, allowing electric scooters to be parked in designated hubs on campus as the university partially reopens.

MSU had not provided a copy of the contract as of Friday afternoon, but Gotcha spokeswoman Caroline Passe said it allows the business to deploy 600 scooters between the university's campus and the rest of East Lansing. Gotcha dropped scooters on campus Thursday, Passe said. 

It's not clear how the novel coronavirus will effect demand for the scooters. MSU is offering some in-person classes when the next semester begins at the end of August, but President Samuel Stanley, Jr. encouraged students to study online from their hometowns instead. 

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Because of the threat of catching COVID-19, Gotcha is encouraging customers to wear face masks when riding and to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before and after use, according to a statement from the company. 

"Gotcha’s e-scooters will provide students with a safe and socially distant way to get around campus and East Lansing," the statement reads. 

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People ages 18 and older can pay $1 to unlock the scooters plus $0.20 for each minute of riding. MSU students may also purchase a subscription for $24.99 a month, allowing for a free hour of ride time after each scooter unlock.

A mobile application shows users where scooters are parked and people are told to leave the scooters parked in an upright position when they're done. The scooters will be available to ride between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., according to the company.

More: Gotcha scooters return to East Lansing despite coronavirus pandemic

In April, Gotcha announced it had dropped 300 scooters in East Lansing after pulling the vehicles from the streets over the winter. 

At the time, Gotcha lacked a contract with MSU, meaning Gotcha scooters could not be parked on campus. There was nothing to stop people from riding the scooters through campus, however, university officials said. 

Gotcha first signed an exclusive licensing deal to park scooters at MSU in August 2019, but that agreement expired in December 2019. 

Contact reporter Sarah Lehr at slehr@lsj.com.Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.