Tess Heagy
Staff Writer
Members of the Manhattan Beach City Council voted on Aug. 21 unanimously in favor of an emergency ordinance to prohibit the use of e-scooters and e-bikes being operated, placed or in the-right-of way in Manhattan Beach, for a six month timespan.
Bird scooters can be rented by the minute by anyone who is 18 years or older and are meant to be an easy and environmentally friendly way to get around. The scooters were introduced in Manhattan Beach during the summer, but were banned soon after due to lack of regulations.
“The City of Manhattan Beach banned Birds because we didn’t have rules in place for them, and other cities trying to come up with rules haven’t been successful in having people follow them,” city council member Steve Napolitano said. “There have been too many riders without helmets, too many leaving them all over the place, too many riding on sidewalks and places they shouldn’t.”
The ban was placed to ensure the safety of pedestrians and to give the city time to make a final decision on the rules and regulations surrounding Bird scooters and other shared mobility devices, according to a press release from the Manhattan Beach Police Department.
“It takes time to come up with rules and a plan to enforce them,” Napolitano said. “In many instances, the companies have just dumped the scooters in cities and asked for forgiveness instead of permission, and that’s not the way to do things.”
The company does not supply riders with helmets, unless they order them online, leaving them without any type of protection while riding the scooters. Many riders left scooters on public property and obstructed the paths of pedestrians, as there was no specific regulations on where they could be ridden, City Council member Steve Napolitano said.
“We’ve seen Birds illegally both on the Strand and bike path, and riders never have a helmet on,” Napolitano said. “Scooters have blocked ADA ramps and sidewalks.”
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