The two-year scooter program in Dallas, Texas has been halted. Monday, September 1, 2020, the city announced it would be pausing the program. Scooter companies were ordered to cease operations in the city and remove scooters from the area by Friday, September 4, 2020.
The City of Dallas has had complaints about scooter vendors and riders not following city ordinances and had struggled to prevent riders from breaking traffic laws and taking the scooters into forbidden areas. These include scooter riders ignoring traffic lights, scooters being in operation during restricted hours, and other concerns. Prior to the ban, scooter related injuries were on the rise in the Dallas downtown and Deep Ellum areas. Further, residents have expressed concerns about the scooters being potentially used as “getaway vehicles” for spectators of street racing, which has also become a problem in Downtown and Deep Ellum.
Dallas continues to want to encourage safe modes of alternative transportation and expects to make substantial changes to the scooter program, including public safety considerations, prior to reimplementing it. Police and the transportation department will meet and discuss concerns and potential changes with Dallas residents, businesses and scooter vendors at a later date.
Virtus Law, PLLC continues to monitor developments in this area and will continue to post relevant updates to this website.