US cities hit brakes on ‘dangerous’ electric scooter craze
ELECTRIC scooters, billed as an environmentally friendly way of commuting, are facing a backlash in cities across the US.
Billions of dollars have been pumped into scooter companies such as Lime, Bird and Spin. Combined, the firms operate in more than 100 US cities as well as around half a dozen in Europe. They are banned in the UK. The scooters are booked via an app. Users can zip around town, avoiding gridlock as they weave around traffic and, in some cases, pedestrians.
But according to many city authorities, the result has been mayhem on the streets. Pedestrians have complained of having to take evasive action to get out of the way of the scooters, which can reach top speeds of 15mph.
Now several municipalities have decided enough is enough. San Francisco served cease and desist orders on elec- tric scooter companies, which led to the vehicles being taken off the streets. Santa Monica instructed police to enforce road traffic laws, requiring riders to have a driving licence and wear a helmet. Kansas City has banned them from shopping areas and Martin Walsh, Boston’s mayor, said the scooters would be impounded if they appeared.
“The scooters just arrived one day,” said Julian Gold, the mayor of Beverly Hills. “It is not as if the companies came up to us and said they were going to do this. They gave no thought to the consequences and the consequences were pretty significant. People were riding in a dangerous manner, they were not wearing helmets, they were falling off.”
The industry regards these issues as teething troubles. “Cities and Bird share a common goal of reducing carbon emissions,” said a Bird spokesman. “We want to collaborate and have productive conversations to bring this equitable and environmentally friendly transportation option to people globally.”