Cities have scrambled to pass regulations to keep the scooters off the sidewalks, prevent riders from being injured and protect motorists and pedestrians.
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Companies like Bird leave fleets of scooters on city streets, which people can pay to activate with an app on their mobile phones. Riders then park the "shared e-scooters" on the sidewalks and many other places on streets — without the need of docking stations — for other customers to hop on and use.
Dayton commissioners this week will consider legislation that imposes regulations and rules on electric-motorized scooters, bicycles, unicycles, skateboards, hover boards, caster boards, tricycles, skates, roller blades and other devices.
The city is considering requiring electric transportation devices to be parked in an upright position on a paved surface that is in the “furniture zone” of the sidewalk. They would be prohibited from blocking the walking areas of sidewalks.
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Under the proposed regulations, electric transportation device service operators will have to apply for city permits.
Service providers would have to provide contact info, information about their devices as well as proof of insurance. They also would have to “release and forever discharge” the city from all claims related to accidents and injuries on the devices.
Operators would be required to “immobilize” scooters by sunset each day and retrieve them by nightfall. The city says it would impound devices that are left out past dark.
Electric transportation devices generally would not be permitted to travel faster than 15 mph.
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