The city of Miami is temporarily suspending its motorized scooter pilot program.
The suspension will be in effect Wednesday, Dec. 30. Vendors and operators currently participating in the pilot program are required to cease operations by then.
The city said in a news release that officials will be developing new safety regulations and requirements and will address recently reported incidents of underage riders.
Vendors and operators "should anticipate changes to operating rules before the temporary pilot program suspension is lifted," the city added.
“Right now, it’s getting a little bit out of hand," said Commissioner Ken Russel. "Until the scooters come up with a way to enforce the rules that we have about underage riding and clutter on the sidewalks, we gotta take a breath, stop for a second, and reassess.”
According to Russell, about 7,000 people ride these scooters daily, generating more than $1 million for the city per year. There are seven dockless scooter-share companies currently operating in Miami.
One company, Spin, says they’ve already taken proactive measures to address unsafe behavior including in-app driver's license checks.
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“We have made Bayfront a no-park zone, so people riding scooters are not able to park scooters inside the park, and then Bayside, we made it a no-ride zone," said Alan Bebchik, general manager of Spin.
