The company that has had a decades-long monopoly offering tour services around the National Mall – at the expense of public buses, bike rentals and pedicabs — is reportedly ending its service next month.
Tourmobile has a year-to-year contract that is supposed to run through Dec. 31, but the City Paper reports that the company sent a notice to its employees letting them know it is ending the service on Oct. 31.
Tourmobile has not returned a call for comment.
The service has come under fire for being a stumbling block to having other transportation options around the Mall. The D.C. Circulator cut its nearby route after forced to side streets that didn’t attract much ridership. Pedicab drivers have said they are harassed by park police enforcing the Tourmobile’s exclusive access, and Capital Bikeshare has been shut out of having stations on the park land.
But the early pullout was news to the National Park Service. Spokesman Bill Line told The Washington Examiner on Tuesday that the park service hadn’t heard anything directly from the touring company. It was not clear what the news would mean for tourists visiting the high-profile site — or other transportation agencies interested in extending service there.
“We’re still sorting it out,” Line told The Examiner.
