Today, Oakland City Council voted to move forward a proposed Ordinance to establish regulations and permits for dockless scooter sharing programs, co-authored by Councilmember Kaplan, Gallo, and McElhaney and staff. The second and final approval will take place in September.
Kaplan says, “This Ordinance will provide responsible guidelines for scooter companies as they do business in Oakland.”
Dockless scooters are being made available by being placed in public locations, and can be a benefit to the community and help with health and mobility if done correctly. However, if done incorrectly, these scooters can have negative impacts by blocking wheelchairs and pedestrians, cluttering sidewalks, and becoming blight.
“The requirements deal with a range of problems and potential problems that have occurred – including prohibiting threatening noises, requiring liability insurance, and where they can be deployed,” says Kaplan
The ordinance also requires local maintenance teams, specific allowed locations for dockless scooters and discounted membership plan for those who are low-income.
In addition, the ordinance will require dockless scooters distributed equitably throughout Oakland. No less than 50% of operator scooters shall be deployed in Oakland’s Communities of Concern.
“To make sure that we can have good mobility options for everyone in our community, it is important that scooter share systems be properly regulated, provide affordable rates, local jobs and reliable local maintenance teams, and benefit the public. Depending how they are handled, scooter share systems could be a benefit or have negative impacts on our community – so I am urging Oakland to adopt responsible regulations,” says Kaplan.