If you live near a college campus or in an urban area, chances are you have seen the motorized rental scooters that are popping up in these areas. Companies like Lime, Bird, Uber, and Lyft have been putting the rental scooters in these areas where people can scan the scooter with an app on their phone and rent it. After an initial fee, they are then charged per minute of use. When they reach their destination, they simply park the scooter and scan it once more. The popularity of these scooters has led to several injuries, leading some communities to debate their regulation while others are considering outright bans.
Smyrna has delayed action on a proposed scooter ban according to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.
In a meeting last Monday, the Smyrna City Council decided to delay a decision on a proposal that would ban dockable, sharable scooters in the city.
In a unanimous vote, the Council to table the proposal until a June 17th meeting. The Council is also considering language that would ban the storage and use of electronic bikes in Smyrna.
The current proposal would ban providing the use of dockless devices in the city. It would also make leaving them standing or laying in the right-of-way or on public property illegal as well as make riding them within the city illegal.
Any devices that were found in right-of-way areas or on public property would be confiscated by the Smyrna Police Department and impounded in the department’s Property and Evidence Unit. Owners would have to pay fees associated with recovering and storing the vehicle.
The city also stated that they are considering other forms of regulation than an outright ban. However, they want pedestrians who use city sidewalks and benches to remain safe.
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