Scooters may soon be seeing a comeback on the streets of Dallas.
Dallas opened up an application process for Scooter companies Wednesday for shared dockless vehicles, FOX 4 reported.
“We have heard from a number of residents and stakeholders who are excited for the program to return,” Ghassan Khankarli, Dallas Department of Transportation director, said in a statement. “With the new rules in place, we anticipate addressing previous concerns about the program while promoting multi-modal transportation.”
Permits will be issued for three companies from 2022 to 2023, the city said. Each company will be allowed 500 scooters and bikes, with that number increasing every three months, depending on the number of complaints and ridership.
Companies have to follow new rules for the scooters not to get banned as they were before. These include following new parking rules that the city mandated but also following “Slow Ride Zones” and “No Ride Zones.”
Additionally, the city increased limits on the number of units that scooter companies can park in each block.
Other rules require residents only use the vehicles between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m., reported Kera news. Also, anyone using a scooter will have to take a picture of themselves next to the scooter or bike once they are done to prove it has been properly parked.
“Some of the key issues that were identified to be addressed before the program could be relaunched included too many vehicles and operators to effectively manage,” said Kathryn Rush, Department of Transportation chief planner, in July during a presentation on the new rules.
Other issues of concern were a lack of efficient permitting and fee collective processes and late-night riding leading to illegal activity.
In 2020, Uber, Lyft, and Bird were ordered to cease operations in the city, primarily due to public complaints and safety concerns.
Many of those complaints involved traffic violations and accidents, according to KRLD.
