Electric scooters face backlash from cities across the US after mayhem on the streets

David Millward
Updated
A pedestrian walks between two Bird dock less scooters, one laying on its side - AFP
A pedestrian walks between two Bird dock less scooters, one laying on its side - AFP

Electric scooters, billed as the new and environmentally friendly way of commuting, are facing a backlash from cities across the US.

Billions of dollars have been pumped into innovative high-tech companies like Lime, Bird and Spin, headquartered in California.

Combined, the companies operate in more than 100 US cities as well as around half a dozen in Europe, including Paris. They are still banned in the UK.

The scooters are booked via an app. They normally cost around one dollar (78 pence)  to unlock and 15 cents (12p) a minute to rent. Users can then zip around town, avoiding urban 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 scooters which can reach top speeds of 15mph.

Residents have also been incensed by the clutter of scooters being haphazardly dumped by riders when they have finished using them. Now several municipalities have declared enough is enough.

Riders make their way across a street on Bird electric scooters in the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles - Credit: AP/Richard Vogel
Riders make their way across a street on Bird electric scooters in the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles Credit: AP/Richard Vogel

San Francisco, for example, served cease and desist orders on electric 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 the shopping areas. On the east coast, Boston’s Mayor Martin Walsh has said the electric scooters will be impounded if they appear.

“The scooters just arrived one day,” said Julian Gold, the Mayor of Beverly Hills in California. “It is not as if they came up to us and said they were going to do this.

People ride Lime and Bird scooters along the strand in Santa Monica, California - Credit: Richard Vogel/AP
People ride Lime and Bird scooters along the strand in Santa Monica, California Credit: Richard Vogel/AP

“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.

“People in the hospital emergency room were telling us that the number of injuries was pretty significant.

“They weren’t like rental bikes which were put back into a rack, they were being left anywhere, on people’s lawns or in their driveways,”  Dr Gold said.

“We have our police department enforcing this and it is taking up resources which should be devoted to fighting crime.

“We were left playing catch up. The backlash has not just been at the government level but from residents as well.”

The industry regards these difficulties as teething troubles as cities get used to a new form of transport.

“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."