Tallahassee commissioners are taking a wait-and-see approach on a proposal to launch an electric scooter pilot program.
Right now state law prohibits the use of scooters in most public places, but the city could pass a local ordinance that allows their use on sidewalks. But Commissioner Curtis Richardson has some safety concerns.
“I would have to imagine the city is liable. We had a case where a young lady stubbed her toe and got $150,000 from the city and she was walking on the side walk. So imagine what would happen if somebody had an accident on one of these scooters where it was our fall and the sidewalk was not repaired and level and that was the cause of the accident,” Richardson says.
Meanwhile, there’s a chance state lawmakers could make a change. A bill is moving through the house that would treat electric scooters much like bicycles and would limit how local governments can regulate them. Commissioners asked city staff to gather more information with a plan to revisit the issue next month.
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