Early this month, the District Department of Transportation announced that it had granted 2020 dockless mobility permits to just four of the eight companies that operate in D.C.

Those companies would be allowed to expand the city’s dockless scooter fleet to 10,000 total, around a 60 percent increase from what we have now. But others—namely Bird, Lime, Razor, and Bolt—would have to get off the streets.

It seems the city might be willing to have a change of heart. DDOT has put a pause on the changes to allow the excluded scooter companies—a few of which have been popular in the District from the beginning of the city’s dockless vehicle pilot program—to appeal the denial of their permit applications.

To allow time for the appeal process, DDOT is extending the validity of current scooter permits through March 31, 2020. Companies operating under the extended permit still have to adhere to all requirements specified in their 2019 permits, including fleet size, according to DDOT.

Street Justice News was the first to report on DDOT’s planned pause of the new permits.

The four scooter companies that made the original cut for 2020 were Jump, Lyft, Skip, and Spin. Each one was given a 2020 permit allowing for 2,500 vehicles each, adding up to 10,000 scooters total. The city also approved two e-bike operators, HelBiz (new in the District) and Jump, also at a 2,500 vehicle cap. (These bike operators will begin operating in January 2020 as planned under their permits.)

Of the excluded scooter companies, Bird and Lime in particular have been particularly ubiquitous throughout the District for several years.

“Bird is pleased to have clarity on the appeals process that the District released and supports the city’s decision to extend the pilot program until March 2020. We look forward to continuing our conversations with the city and remain committed to providing sustainable, safe transportation to residents of the District of Columbia,” Bird tells DCist in a statement.

Lime told the Washington Post that it is “committed to D.C. and will continue to explore our options to serve the city beyond March.”

DDOT handed out permits based on a 198-point scoring scale, per the agency’s original announcement of its permit winners. Applicants needed at least 121 points to be considered, and the four highest-scoring companies were given a 2020 permit.

Bird, Lime, and Razor all scored more than 121 points, but lost out to the other four companies, according to the Post.

Several companies complained to DDOT about the scoring and permitting process, per the Post, and sought the ability to appeal the agency’s decision.

The agency will make its final decision on appeals by February 28, according to a press release. It’s unclear what criteria are being used to evaluate permit appeals or whether the decision to grant a new permit would eliminate another scooter company from the market.