Electric Scooters Banned At The Beach In Fort Lauderdale During Spring Break
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – In only three months' time there has been an explosion of scooters and riders in Fort Lauderdale as they test the 'dockless' program.
The electric Scooters are picked up and dropped off anywhere and operate through an app and a swipe of your credit card.
But the popularity of the simple and cheap mode of transportation has led to unintended consequences.
"The minimum age to ride is 18, but parents are loaning their credit cards to kids who are operating without helmets and they are causing havoc," says Fort Lauderdale mayor Dean Trantalis.
This is especially true at the beach, where riders have collided with residents and visitors on the sidewalk.
"Pedestrians can't walk anymore," says beach resident Abe Farr. "We like the residual income but pedestrians have priority."
And so the city is banning the scooters at the beach for the upcoming busy spring break.
Likely they won't be allowed from mid-February through the month of April, according to the mayor.
"While it would be wildly popular during spring break it places undue burden on pedestrians and visitors," says Trantalis.
The mayor says the city recently met with the scooter's vendors to strategize on working out some of the problems that have surfaced with ridership.
Trantalis says it's a work in progress and while the scooters are a great idea they are still studying whether they will be a permanent part of Fort Lauderdale's future.
For more information at Fort Lauderdale's ordinance, click here.
