State and local officials across the U.S. are scrambling to regulate the fast-growing electric-scooter industry—and in some cases banning the two-wheeled devices until laws can be crafted.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, about a year after startups like Bird Rides Inc. and Lime began spreading them around the country—sometimes without warning or seeking prior approval—thousands of scooters can be rented by the minute in dozens of cities and on many college campuses.
Bird scooters arrived in Baton Rouge last week, and in Lafayette last month.
Many cities—including in Louisiana—didn’t have rules in place when the scooters, which can go 15 miles an hour, hit their streets and sidewalks, and some states have longstanding laws that appear to outlaw them.
At least 15 state legislatures are likely to take up scooter bills in coming legislative sessions, and only about 10 states currently have laws that apply to vehicle categories that appear to include e-scooters.
