Earlier this month, hundreds of <keyword id="19895037" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bengaluru" source="keywords">Bengaluru</keyword> <keyword id="21660399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="auto-rickshaw-drivers" source="keywords">auto-rickshaw drivers</keyword> gathered outside the Transport Department’s head office in Shantinagar. The protestors — composed of 32 mobility-related organisations led by a private union group — had many demands, but the major one was clear: ban two-wheeler “bike taxis” in Silicon City.<br /><br />Cab-aggregating firm <keyword id="20445234" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rapido" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Rapido" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Rapido">Rapido</keyword> popularised <keyword id="20104101" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bike-taxis" source="keywords">bike taxis</keyword> in Bengaluru after their introduction around 2016. With fares about half of that of a standard cab, and quite a bit lower than that of auto rates, the mode quickly became popular among the masses who did not mind the temporary discomfort of a pillion ride to their destination. Now, all popular cab-for-hire apps offer bike taxi services in Bengaluru, including <keyword id="20045096" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uber-and-ola" source="keywords">Uber and Ola</keyword>.<br /><br />However, the mode’s rising popularity has also diverted potential customers and businesses away from auto-rickshaws, which irked the group. The past year has seen many instances of <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/after-auto-drivers-attack-rapido-captain-bike-taxi-union-in-bengaluru-asks-police-to-ensure-protection-of-its-riders-8679747/">violent attacks</a> on bike taxi captains by auto drivers. While these cases are regularly brought to the notice of the police, little action is taken to de-escalate the growing contempt among the groups.<br /><h2>A complicated legal situation</h2>Further, the law remains too muddy to place blame and offer any resolution. Despite pleas by the Bike Taxi Association for legalisation and recognition of bike taxi services in the state, no resolute legal action has been taken on the matter. <br />      <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111512310" title="Bengaluru's newest ride-hailing app allows you to book autos via WhatsApp, to follow govt rates" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>A majority of two-wheeler cabs comprise private vehicles in Bengaluru, meaning they are fitted with white registration plates and cannot be used as commercial vehicles. Furthermore, the addition of a platoon of electric vehicles with green plates (with yellow font for commercial use) adds to the confusion.<br /><br />In August 2021, the court had advised no “coercive action” against bike taxis after a petition by Rapido. Further, in April, sources reported that the Karnataka High Court had directed the state government to protect bike taxi operators by taking strict action against individuals or entities that “unlawfully obstructed” their services. <br /><br />Naturally, there is a lot of grey area and unclarity as to the legal status of bike taxis, and the burden of this has fallen upon the bike taxi service providers, lakhs of whom have become dependent on the service for their daily <keyword id="20445583" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="livelihood" source="keywords">livelihood</keyword>. And as the recent protests led to strict crackdowns on hundreds of “illegal” bike taxis, the step has led to devastating consequences for many confused captains.<br /><h2>Daily livelihood seized</h2>60-year-old bike taxi captain Tarun [name changed for anonymity] recently received an <keyword id="19895382" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uber" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Uber" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Uber">Uber</keyword> booking near the Regional Transport Office, Kasturinagar. After reaching the location specified on the app, he was met with a traffic police officer in civilian uniform, who reportedly impounded the bike immediately.<br /><br />As per Tarun, the police explained that his bike, although it had the necessary documentation (such as registration and insurance), was illegal for use as a bike taxi service. Tarun had to visit the RTO multiple times over the course of the next several days, after which he had to pay an arbitrary ‘fine’ of Rs 6,500 to release the bike. The police reportedly declined to give a break-up of the fine.<br /><br />“They took away my only source of livelihood, so I had no option but to oblige so that I do not lose the vehicle altogether,” lamented Tarun. “Like me, there are many people whose families run on this income.”<br />      <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111457653" title="Brace yourself, Bengaluru! Traffic could get a whole lot worse as BBMP announces major roadwork in many key areas" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>A similar situation transpired for other captains for other cab-aggregating companies after the recent crackdown, who incurred varying unspecified penalties for “unauthorised” rendering of bike taxi services. One source noted that the RTO demanded that the challan be paid with cash rather than an online transaction.<br /><h2>Unaffordable penalty and no communication</h2>Officials have noted that there are provisions to impose a penalty of Rs 5,000 if vehicle owners are found using a private vehicle for commercial purposes. However, this has proven a heavy blow for captains such as Tarun, who have become reliant on his bike for a daily wage.<br /><br />After accounting for petrol and maintenance charges, Tarun explained that he earns approximately Rs 300 per day. Not only did he lose out on precious days of wages after his bike was confiscated, but the penalty incurred would take over half a month of work to pay off, he explained.<br />      <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111663953" title="Is the cost of rent finally going down in Bengaluru&amp;#39;s IT corridors like Koramangala and Whitefield?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Tarun and other captains noted that there was no communication from Uber or Rapido to discontinue their bike taxi services. Until more clarity is obtained, they are apprehensive of continuing services, leaving them with no viable source of income.<br /><br />Captains expressed discontent that action was being taken against the ground-level workers instead of the cab-aggregating companies themselves, such as Uber and Rapido. “If they really want to stop this [bike taxi services], then why don’t they stop it from the app?,” Tarun remarked. “If they say that we are illegal, then Uber and Rapido are also illegal.”<br /><br />Until a method to legalise bike taxis is provided, bike taxi providers — who often turn to the service as a last resort amid the unavailability of quality jobs — will continue to live in financial uncertainty.<br />

“They took away my only source of livelihood” — As police impound bike taxis in Bengaluru, captains cry in despair

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dcf1f203afd376e711e2af9-1500/2019-08-01t105138z1759586081rc1b63d0d350rtrmadp3california-scooters.jpg" border="0" alt="Scoot Scoop founders repo scooters" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Mike Blake" data-mce-caption="Scoot Scoop founders John Heinkel and Dan Borelli, two professional repo men who have formed a company that acts on behalf of business owners and landlords, pose for a picture next to a truck full of impounded scooters in San Diego, California, U.S., July 29, 2019. Picture taken July 29, 2019." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Mike Blake</span></p><p class="caption">Scoot Scoop founders John Heinkel and Dan Borelli, two professional repo men who have formed a company that acts on behalf of business owners and landlords, pose for a picture next to a truck full of impounded scooters in San Diego, California, U.S., July 29, 2019. Picture taken July 29, 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/scoot-scoop">ScootScoop</a> has found big business in reposessing scooters that have been parked illegally. </strong></li><li><strong>The duo will harvest dozens of Bird or Lime scooters on any given night at the request of property owners, and charge the companies big bucks to get them back. </strong></li><li><strong>Business Insider producer Sarah Wyman spent a day with the founders, scooping up scooters around San Diego, California, to learn more.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/shiftinggears">Sign up for Business Insider's transportation newsletter, Shifting Gears, to get more stories like this in your inbox.</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</strong></li></ul><p>How do an international repo-man and a bike shop owner end up in business together?</p><p>Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say, and for Dan Borelli and John Heinkel, it was a match made in frustration heaven.</p><p>"If you had been here a year ago, you wouldn't have been able to walk through these pathways because it was filled with scooters," Borelli told producer Sarah Wyman on a recent episode of Business Insider's "Brought To You By" podcast, as they walked toward his San Diego boardwalk shop.</p><p>The rentable e-scooters, made popular in recent years by Bird, Lime, Uber, Lyft and others, were his shop's natural enemy. Why walk into a shop and speak with a human, when you can rent the vehicles on an app in two-taps of a button?</p><p>But that convenience came didn't come without aggravation. In many cases, the companies set up shop overnight, angering residents and business owners who suddenly found the scooters cluttered on sidewalks and streets.</p><p>"This was, you know, getting under my skin big time," Borelli said.</p><p>That's when Heinkel, who happened to run an international repossession business, walked in.</p><p>"John came walking into my business one day and had a flat tire with his daughter's bike and he came on in the shop to get the tire fixed," Borelli said. "We started chatting about all the scooters that we're laying all over the property here and what we were doing about the and … looked at him like, I hadn't had a clue what to do about 'em."</p><p>"I egged him on a little bit," Borelli continued, "and said, 'what would you do about it? You got a towing shirt on and you can tow a car, can't you tow a scooter?"</p><p>It turns out, yes, he could tow a scooter, and ScootScoop was born.</p><p>At 5 a.m., while it's still dark and the scooters are just faint, blurry outlines and there are few people on the streets, the duo sat in a back alley behind a shopping center. They're here to pick up scooters that have been left on private property.</p><p>After a few minutes, Borelli spots a delinquent scooter on the property of a hotel that's contracted with ScootScoop. It's also in a fire lane. He pulls out his phone and starts the process of "ticketing" -- yes, they write their own "tickets" -- and then towing his first scooter of the morning.</p><p>"What we do is we fill out a tracking form for each scooter," Borelli said. "It's a very simple form that we've created. We fill out the type of scooter it is, where we found it, the device ID number, and take a photo of the location so we can show the scooter company where we found it. I'll even include the sign that says tow away here and they'll see that it's in a fire lane."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dcf200d7eece57b006b7f46-1200/2019-08-01t105127z1089337187rc1e2baf36f0rtrmadp3california-scooters.jpg" border="0" alt="Scoot Scoop scooters" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Mike Blake" data-mce-caption="John Heinkel and Dan Borelli of Scoot Scoop impound four scooters that were left on private property in downtown San Diego, California, U.S., July 29, 2019. Picture taken July 29, 2019." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Mike Blake</span></p><p class="caption">John Heinkel and Dan Borelli of Scoot Scoop impound four scooters that were left on private property in downtown San Diego, California, U.S., July 29, 2019. Picture taken July 29, 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>But as he begins to push the scooter, it begins loudly beeping. It's an anti-theft mechanism. Borelli has to hustle, because eventually the wheels will lock. Before long, about fifty scooters are in the back of the truck.</p><p>ScootScoop has a growing list of nearly 350 properties whose owners have contracted with them to rid their grounds of parked scooters. Borelli and Heinkel's daily route takes them past many of those locations. But they also rely on part-time employees back at the office to check on the very apps people use to rent the scooters. They can see if riders are dropping scooters off at properties that ScootScoop serves.</p><p>If the companies want to get them back out onto the streets, according to ScootScoop, they'll have to pay a $50 impound fee and a daily storage fee of $2 per day for each scooter.</p><p>Those can add up quickly.</p><p>"So if we're holding 10,000 scooters right now," Borelli said, "There's a $20,000 per day storage fee every day."</p><p>At one point, Bird wrote a check for more than $40,000 to retrieve about 1,800 scooters.</p><p>"Yeah we can buy a lot of coffee and donuts with that," Heinkel said.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dcf203c7eece57b5d1fdea3-1200/2019-08-01t105129z1328903335rc1594d6f400rtrmadp3california-scooters.jpg" border="0" alt="Scoot Scoop scooters" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Mike Blake" data-mce-caption="Some of the thousands of BIRD scooters are shown at Scoot Scoop after the company impounded the devices when contracted by private property owners who no longer want them being left on their property in San Diego, California, U.S., July 29, 2019. Picture taken July 29, 2019." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Mike Blake</span></p><p class="caption">Some of the thousands of BIRD scooters are shown at Scoot Scoop after the company impounded the devices when contracted by private property owners who no longer want them being left on their property in San Diego, California, U.S., July 29, 2019. Picture taken July 29, 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Understandably, the companies aren't always happy. At one point, they even filed a lawsuit.</p><p>In a statement, a spokesman for Lime said, "ScootScoop has repeatedly been observed taking scooters that are responsibly parked" and that "their attempts to deputize themselves as an extension of the city is not only unlawful, but it is nothing more than a property theft scheme to generate income."</p><p>Borelli and Heinkel deny these claims, including comments that they tow scooters that are "properly parked." In fact, just <em>hearing</em> that description gets a rise out of Heinkel.</p><p>"At what point is a scooter properly parked on private property when you do not have permission from the property owner to park it there ... that's a mouthful," he said.</p><p>While that litigation is ongoing, the scooter tensions are likely here to stay. Both Uber and Lyft have said they have plans to continue investing in micromobility. But in some cases, cities are pushing back.</p><p>Los Angeles this month suspended Uber's permit for its Jump scooters in the city after the company refused to provide data on where the scooters are. Uber, in response, requested a hearing with city officials about the issue, The Wall Street Journal reported.</p><p>What's next? No one's quite sure.</p><p>"There is a good chance scooters are fads," Sarah Kaufman, Associate Director at the Rudin Center for <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> at New York University, told the podcast. "But there will be something next and something after that and something after that. And it won't be a car. It'll be something that helps people get around in a more healthy and fun way."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-used-the-motorola-droid-on-its-10th-anniversary-2019-11">I used the 10-year-old original Motorola Droid for a week</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/ZlGKO8Tz-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

We spent a day with ScootScoop repossessing renegade scooters to find out why the services are drawing so much backlash

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5adfaa6219ee8651008b4869-2400/scoot.jpg" border="0" alt="scooters" data-mce-source="Justin Sullivan/Getty Images"><p class="source"><span>Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong>San Francisco residents are vandalizing electric scooters and in one case, pooping on them.</strong></li><li><strong>That's gross.</strong></li><li><strong>The city has received numerous complaints about the scooters in recent weeks and has already <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-cease-desist-bird-lime-spin-electric-scooter-startups-2018-4">begun impounding scooters</a> parked illegally.&#xa0;</strong></li></ul><hr><p><br>Some activist residents of San Francisco are apparently so outraged by the sight of electric scooters on city streets that they've resorted to extreme measures, including literally pooping on them.&#xa0;</br></p><p><a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/wj79jq/san-francisco-is-fighting-the-scooter-trend-with-poop-and-vandalism-bird">Motherboard reported Tuesday</a> that electric scooters around San Francisco have become targets of vandalization. Scooters have been seen with broken wiring, with stickers covering the QR codes that allow riders to unlock them, thrown into trashcans and, yes, even pooped on.&#xa0;</p><p><span>The scatological scooter sabotage comes as three separate startups - Bird, LimeBikes, and Spin - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/electric-scooter-startup-war-in-san-francisco-2018-4">all recently began placing the two-wheeled vehicles throughout the city</a>. The services all work similarly&#xa0;</span><span>and bill themselves as environmentally friendly <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="transportation">transportation</keyword> alternatives. </span></p><p><span>Using a smartphone app, city residents can reserve a nearby scooter, ride around on it for a small fee, and, at the end of the journey, leave the scooter anywhere to be claimed by the next rider. Unlike many bike-sharing programs, the scooters don't need to be attached to a special dock, so riders can just hop off and walk away.</span></p><p>San Francisco officials say they have received numerous complaints about the scooters, claiming the scooters routinely block sidewalks and building entrances, cause people to trip, and make sidewalks less accessible to children and people in wheelchairs. Residents have also reported seeing riders on sidewalks, which is illegal.</p><p>In response to increased public pressure and complaints, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-cease-desist-bird-lime-spin-electric-scooter-startups-2018-4">San Francisco City Attorney sent the scooter startups cease-and-desist letters last week</a>, calling scooters public nuisances and a public safety hazard and has begun impounding scooters that are seen illegally parked. The city voted last week to require scooters companies to apply for a permit before operating in the city.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Current state of affairs in San Francisco's SOMA district. <a href="https://t.co/9j7qP9qaLr">pic.twitter.com/9j7qP9qaLr</a></p>- Chris Hinkle  (@lilhinx) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/988587251293552640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2018</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The war on scooters in San Francisco continues. This Bird has its QR code painted over and one of its cables cut. 17th and Harrison. <a href="https://t.co/EO3BTK3j5p">pic.twitter.com/EO3BTK3j5p</a></p>- Scott Shapiro  (@scottshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/988151180516720640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2018</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-gross-sharing-earbuds-2018-4">How gross are your earbuds?</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/hBjWRuUY-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div></hr>

People are vandalizing the scooters taking over San Francisco with everything from stickers to poop

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ad52dad146e711e008b4ad0-1986/spin-electric-scooter-san-francisco.jpg" border="0" alt="spin electric scooter san francisco" data-mce-source="Facebook/spinrides" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/spinrides/photos/a.1918719348366334.1073741829.1824672197771050/2030370923867842/?type=3&amp;theater"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/spinrides/photos/a.1918719348366334.1073741829.1824672197771050/2030370923867842/?type=3&amp;theater">Facebook/spinrides</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong>San Francisco has begun its crackdown on electric scooters that have descended on the city in recent weeks.</strong></li><li><strong>Each of the three scooter-on-demand companies operating in the city - Spin, LimeBike, and Bird -were hit with cease and desist letters on Monday.</strong></li><li><strong>In the letters, the city claims the scooters routinely break the law and are a "public nuisance."</strong></li></ul><hr><p>San Francisco's City Attorney slapped the three high-profile electric scooter companies with cease and desist orders on Monday, calling them "unlawful," "a public nuisance," and dangers to public heath and safety.</p><p>These startups let people reserve a local scooter from a smartphone app, ride for a small fee, and, at the end of the journey, leave the scooter wherever to be claimed by the next rider. Unlike existing bike-sharing programs, there's no dock, so the scooters can be left anywhere.</p><p>The legal notices, obtained by Business Insider, accuse each of the companies -&#xa0;Bird, LimeBike, and Spin - of skirting local laws by allowing riders to ride on sidewalks, leave scooters blocking sidewalks, ride without a helmet, and ride with more than one person per scooter.&#xa0;</p><p>"Lime's current business practices create a public nuisance and are unlawful," one letter reads. "Lime must immediately cease and desist these from practices that allows its customers to create a public safety hazard on the City's public streets and sidewalks, and take effective action to abate its unlawful nuisance conduct."&#xa0;</p><p>Attached to the cease and desist letters sent to each of the companies were pictures of riders violating the laws and rules of the road in question.&#xa0;</p><p>To be clear, the city isn't banning scooters in general, or these companies in particular.&#xa0;</p><p>According to the letter, the companies have until April 30 to provide a written report detailing how they will address the "unlawful" scooters. Until then, the letter reads, the city will begin to impound scooters seen breaking the law - a threat given more credence by the fact that on Friday, 66 scooters were impounded from city streets.</p><p><span>In statement to Business Insider a spokesman for Bird, said, "We have just received it and we are reviewing it. We'll be in touch when we have more comments."</span><span>&#xa0;</span><span>Spin and LimeBike have not responded to request for comment from Business Insider.</span></p><p>The city has received a raft of complaints since the scooters first descended on San Francisco.&#xa0;<span>Residents have complained of the scooters routinely blocking sidewalks and building entrances, causing people to trip, and making sidewalks less accessible for people who use wheelchairs. Residents have also reported encountering people riding the scooters, which can reach speeds of up to 15 mph, on sidewalks, which is illegal in the city.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span>Twitter users have even begun to keep track of scooters breaking the law in the city with the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23scootersbehavingbadly">#scootersbehavingbadly</a>.</span></p><p>While current law doesn't require scooter companies to get a permit to operate, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will vote on Tuesday whether to allow the San Francisco Municipal <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> Authority to create a permitting process.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Two scooters abandoned WITH THE ALARM GOING OFF. The tech bro who came up with this idea is going to hell. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/scootersbehavingbadly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#scootersbehavingbadly</a> <a href="https://t.co/hKN2ssWarL">pic.twitter.com/hKN2ssWarL</a></p>- Moxie Six  (@moxiesix) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/985594280717705216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2018</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/urb-e-electric-scooter-video-2015-10">This tiny electric scooter will make your commute a lot more exciting</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/c3R8oi7g-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div></hr>

San Francisco is taking a stand against the electric scooter startups that have invaded the city

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5adfbf4019ee8637008b456c-2400/gettyimages-947732336.jpg" border="0" alt="Scooters" data-mce-source="Justin Sullivan/Getty Images" /><p class="source"><span>Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>San Francisco officials are opposing a state-level bill they say would be a detriment to public safety.</strong></li><li><strong>The bill would allow scooters to be ridden on sidewalks unless local municipalities explicitly pass a law preventing it and only require riders under 18 to wear helmets.</strong></li><li><strong>The lawmaker behind the state law is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-electric-scooters-vandalized-pooped-on-2018-4">genuinely confused by the backlash.</a></strong></li></ul><hr /><p>California leaders are in disagreement over how exactly to regulate the scores of<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/electric-scooter-startup-war-in-san-francisco-2018-4"> electric scooters that have descended on San Francisco.</a></p><p>San Francisco city officials have quickly opted for regulation, voting to require scooter companies to obtain a permit before operating in the city. The City Attorney's office has sent each of the three companies with scooters in the city - Bird, LimeBikes, and Spin - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-cease-desist-bird-lime-spin-electric-scooter-startups-2018-4">cease and desist orders</a> warning them to curb reckless rider behavior. And authorities have already begun to impound scooters seen blocking sidewalks.</p><p>Meanwhile, a state-level bill that would put shared electric scooters in the same regulatory category as shared electric bikes has been introduced in the California State Assembly. The bill, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/scooter-startup-bird-claims-san-francisco-wants-to-shut-it-down-2018-4">which is backed by Bird</a>, would allow scooters to be ridden on sidewalks unless local municipalities explicitly pass a law preventing it and only require riders under 18 to wear helmets.</p><p>On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to pass a resolution opposing that bill, claiming it would be a detriment to public safety. Under current law in San Francisco, riders of all ages have to wear helmets and it's illegal to ride scooters on sidewalks.</p><p>"<span>It is disturbing that the same companies and investors who have pledged to work with the City to respect California public safety and public realm laws are spending lobbying dollars in Sacramento to repeal them,"</span> San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who has been leading the charge to regulate the scooters, told <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/20/sf-supervisor-doesnt-want-you-riding-electric-scooters-on-sidewalks/">TechCrunch</a>.</p><h2>Confused by the backlash</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5adfb4f519ee8628008b48a7-2400/scoot.jpg" border="0" alt="scooters" data-mce-source="Justin Sullivan/Getty Images" /><p class="source"><span>Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>All of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bird-electric-scooter-review-2018-4">shared electric scooters work the same way</a>. Using a smartphone app, city residents can reserve a nearby scooter, ride around on it for a small fee, and, at the end of the journey, leave the scooter anywhere to be claimed by the next rider. Unlike many bike-sharing programs, the scooters don't need to be attached to a special dock, so riders can just hop off and walk away.</p><p>The bill was introduced by Republican California Assemblyman Heath Flora, who represents the area near Modesto, California, which is about 90 miles away from San Francisco. None of the three scooter companies operate in Fora's district.</p><p>Dylan Gray, Flora's chief of staff, told Business Insider that Bird - one of the companies with scooters in the city - approached Flora's office about possible regulation. He added that the bill is simply putting electric scooters in the same category as electric bikes, which only require riders under 18 to wear a helmet, and was genuinely confused <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-electric-scooters-vandalized-pooped-on-2018-4">with the backlash</a> from San Francisco officials. </p><p>"From our standpoint, instead of having a patchwork of local governments trying to figure out how to legally classify these things, the bill just creates this baseline framework so no matter where you're at in California, these scooters will be classified for legal reasons under the same category," Gray said. "From that baseline, local governments can write their ordinances about them."</p><p>For example, Gray said, in populated areas like San Francisco, local officials could pass a law that would prevent scooters from being ridden on sidewalks. But in less crowded areas of the state, Gray said, it might make sense to allow that.</p><p>In this way, the bill "empowers cities and municipalities in California to pass whatever rules are best for their communities including where to ride an e-scooter," Kenneth Baer, a spokesman for Bird told Business Insider in a statement via email. </p><p>"The intent of the pending California legislation for e-scooters is to bring e-scooters into parity with e-bikes," Baer said. "... If there are language improvements to make it clear that cities should be able to set ridership rules, then we are open to that."</p><p>Bird has been particularly vocal in it's opposition to what the company sees as stifling local regulation. It launched without informing leaders in Santa Monica and was served with a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bird-dockless-electric-scooter-startup-raises-15m-us-expansion-2018-2">criminal complaint</a> after failing to obtain a permit. The company has also lobbied against a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-considers-electric-scooter-limits-2018-4">proposed cap</a> on the number of scooters allowed in San Francisco.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ar-augmented-reality-game-brings-play-street-fighter-into-real-world-abhishek-singh-2018-3">You can play Street Fighter in 'real life' with this augmented reality game</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/4FXN87Gr-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

San Francisco officials are outraged that scooter startups steered around them to try to pass a state law

39. Scoot Over?

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ad66930817df61b008b462c-2000/spin-electric-scooter-san-francisco.jpg" border="0" alt="spin electric scooter san francisco" data-mce-source="Facebook/spinrides" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/spinrides/photos/a.1918719348366334.1073741829.1824672197771050/2030370923867842/?type=3&amp;theater" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/spinrides/photos/a.1918719348366334.1073741829.1824672197771050/2030370923867842/?type=3&amp;theater">Facebook/spinrides</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>San Francisco has voted to regulate electric scooters, requiring them to apply for a permit before operating on city streets.</strong></li><li><strong>The legislation was passed unanimously. </strong></li><li><strong>The San Francisco MTA expects applications for permits to be ready in May.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p>Just weeks after a raft of electric scooters have filled the streets of San Francisco - and drawn complaints from local residents - the city has voted to regulate them. </p><p>In a unanimous vote, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to require electronic scooter startups to apply for a permit before operating in the city, giving authorities the power to impound any scooter without a permit.</p><p>The San Francisco Municipal <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> Authority told Business Insider before the vote it will be ready to accept permit applications in May, which will be before the <keyword id="6355470" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="law">law</keyword> is set to take effect.</p><p>Since the terms of the permit applications have yet to be written, it is unclear exactly what the three venture-backed companies with scooters in the city - Bird, LimeBikes, and Spin - will have to show the city before receiving a permit. But Paul Rose, a spokesman for the SFMTA, said the companies will have to "<span style="color: #000000;">educate their users on how to ride and park responsibly, holding the companies accountable to produce good behavior from their users."</span></p><p>Two of the three high-profile startups with scooters in the city, Bird and Spin, told Business Insider they supported the regulation and expressed a willingness to "work with the city" despite the escalating tension between city officials and scooter companies in recent weeks.</p><p>LimeBikes has not made any public statements about the legislation and did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Business Insider. </p><p>The startups let people reserve a local scooter from a smartphone app, ride for a small fee, and, at the end of the journey, leave the scooter wherever to be claimed by the next rider. Unlike existing bike-sharing programs, there's no dock, so the scooters can be left anywhere. The scooters have cropped up in other cities, too, such as Santa Monica, Austin, and Washington DC.</p><p>The city has received a raft of complaints since the scooters first descended on San Francisco. Residents have complained of the scooters routinely blocking sidewalks and building entrances, causing people to trip, and making sidewalks less accessible for people who use wheelchairs. Residents have also reported encountering people riding the scooters, which can reach speeds of up to 15 mph, on sidewalks, which is illegal in the city.</p><p>Twitter users have even begun to keep track of scooters breaking the law in the city with the hashtag<span> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23scootersbehavingbadly">#scootersbehavingbadly</a>.</p><p>In a completely separate action than the Board of Supervisors, the San Francisco city attorney's office on Monday issued cease and desist orders to Bird, LimeBikes, and Spin for violating state and local laws already on the books that dictate how scooters need to be ridden and where they can be parked. The orders, for example, cite riders lying scooters in the middle of sidewalks, riding without a helmet, and riding with multiple passengers - all of which are already illegal. </p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drew-houston-dropbox-ceo-joins-founders-for-change-2018-3">Silicon Valley heavyweights are trying to fix the lack of diversity in tech - here's how</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/9uaVGimZ-xjRU7l6Z.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

You Searched For "bike impound" and got 7 results

“They took away my only source of livelihood” — As police impound bike taxis in Bengaluru, captains cry in despair

Ankush Banerjee

We spent a day with ScootScoop repossessing renegade scooters to find out why the services are drawing so much backlash

Graham Rapier,Sarah Wyman

People are vandalizing the scooters taking over San Francisco with everything from stickers to poop

Rachel Sandler

San Francisco is taking a stand against the electric scooter startups that have invaded the city

Rachel Sandler

San Francisco officials are outraged that scooter startups steered around them to try to pass a state law

Rachel Sandler

39. Scoot Over?

Charlie Herman,Sarah Wyman,Julia Press

San Francisco just voted to regulate the glut of shared electric scooters that startups are putting all over the city's streets

Rachel Sandler