Is New York State The Next To Ban Scooters?

The good weather is finally making it's way in to New York State. Although we may have to put up with a few more days of cold and rain and, in some places, snow, the spring and summer in New York State are just about perfect! Get ready to have some fun and enjoy all that New York State has to offer.

The spring break time of year typically means that it is time to road trip! Load up the car and hit the Thruway to your favorite vacation spot. The tough part for this year's road trip will be the high gas prices. Some places are near four dollars a gallon and the jump in price was as much as thirty cents overnight! The better option for travel may be on foot, bike or scooter.

Here in Western New York, we have been seeing an increase in the amount of available rental scooters and bikes. They are nice to have in a pinch or to see things around town without having to pay for parking or gas. Yet there are some places around the world that have varying opinions on them on city streets.

In a major blow to shared micromobility companies Lime, Dott and Tier, Paris has voted to ban rental e-scooters from its streets. Many in the industry fear the move in Paris, where free-floating scooters initially took off in 2018, will have ripple effects in other cities.

But it is not only happening in France. Here in the United States there are also cities that are considering a similar ban within the city limits as well.

On a recent trip to Atlanta, I couldn't help but notice how many abandoned scooters we saw scattered around the streets. I am not sure who has the responsibility of picking them up and returning them, but, I can imagine it could quickly become an annoying chore.