Miami lifts its interim ban on shared electric scooters following safety and other concerns

The rise of e-scooters as a new form of popular mobility has been something of a global phenomenon. There are numerous cities around the globe that have permitted companies like Lime, Spin and others to usher in a new age of so-called ‘micro-mobility’ in the form of trials or on a permanent basis. For the companies, they are a relatively cheap means of making a decent profit while from a multi-modal transport perspective, they plug a gap in first-and-last mile transport that reduces congestion and emissions.

Earlier in November, the City of Miami voted to end its multi-year pilot of the technology. As has been the case in many other cities where e-scooters are available to commuters, the City noted that the e-scooters had been left blocking pedestrian access and that they could pose a safety risk to riders as well as pedestrians. In fact, over the past four years across the US, there has been a 70 percent increase in injuries resulting from their use, including 71 deaths.

However, after lobbying from Lime and Spin, the City of Miami rescinded their decision with the companies having successfully argued that they had evidence showing that car usage was down since the introduction of e-scooters and that it connected residents to transit hubs and also helped raise revenue for the City. Among the conditions of their reintroduction will be that police will be authorized to issue tickets to speeding riders and other safety measures for both riders and non-riders.

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