Bird scooters quick rise to popularity in will now be under the scrutiny of Metro Council members because of two ordinances aimed at regulating the electric ride sharing company.
One of the pieces of legislation would govern how Metro governs both current and future dockless scooters and bicycles in the city. Metro councilman Jeremy Elrod wrote the ordinance to help lay some groundwork for dealing with what he fears will be a flood of electric transportation options coming to Nashville.
"Now that they're here, other companies are chomping at the bit to get here as well," said Elrod. "We're trying to stave off an avalanche of scooters and bikes from flooding the streets before we want to regulate them as a city."
Elrod's rules include a pilot program where the city government will monitor electric scooter or bike fleets, collecting data from the companies operating in Nashville, while also including safety guidelines that are clearly visible to riders.
Elrod said he and other council members were irked with the way Bird entered into the market place. The legislation would limit the number of scooters or bicycles operating in the city for the first six months of operation. Only 250 scooters would be allowed in the first three months.
The metro council will take up the ordinance for the first time Tuesday night, but work will happen through the month of June. Elrod said the talks should help the city properly identify what the correct safety measures for dockless vehicles should be.
