Beverly Hills Bans Motorized Scooters For Six Months

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Beverly Hills City Council voted 4-1 to prohibit motorized scooters within City limits for the next six months during a special meeting Tuesday night. The ordinance prohibits the shared mobility devices from being placed in or operated in any public-right-of-way or on public property, or offered for use anywhere in the City, according to a City of Beverly Hills press release.

Councilmembers voiced concern for public safety, and lack of any advanced planning and outreach by the motorized scooter companies as the primary reason for the new ordinance. Local officials showed an interested in meeting with motorized scooter company representatives to establish clear guidelines for possible future use within the City, the press release said.

"The use of motorized scooters in Beverly Hills has dramatically increased in recent weeks with the Police Department issuing warnings and citations for riders not wearing helmets, driving on sidewalks in a business district or not possessing a valid driver’s license," the press release said.

Beverly Hills Police will enforce a zero-tolerance policy on the use of motorized scooters throughout the City, including impounding the devices and issuing citations related to vehicle code violations, resulting in fines.

Over the weekend, dozens of scooter riders took over the streets of Beverly Hills, causing a scene until police intervened. The large group of electric scooter riders took over the streets around midnight with rented Lime scooters from Santa Monica to Beverly Hills, according to Fox 11.

When police arrived, most of the riders fled, leaving scooters abandoned around the area. The same stunt was pulled earlier at the Century City mall, and police impounded the scooters, the news station reported.

Police have also responded to several vehicle crashes involving motorized scooters in which people were injured. Authorities have removed scooters from sidewalks and streets that blocked the normal movement of traffic and created a hazard, the press release said.

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