Orlando may soon be getting electric scooters

ORLANDO, Fla. — The city of Orlando may soon be replacing Bike Share’s bright green bicycles that are scattered across the city with electric scooters.

In June, Mayor Buddy Dyer called scooters “dangerous,” but now the city could start a scooter-share pilot program as soon as December.

Dyer said part of why he’s allowing scooters is because the bikes have already been pulled out of the city in areas near the University of Central Florida.

The city said five companies, including Lime and Hopr, will decide if the bikes and scooters will share the city.

The city of Orlando said scooters may be here by December, a surprise after Dyer told Channel 9 anchor Greg Warmoth, “The one thing you won’t see Greg, is the electric scooters. I’ve seen them deployed in Ft. Lauderdale and Austin. Those are real dangerous.”

Channel 9’s Cierra Putman asked the mayor why he’s had a change of heart.

“For some who may think this is a flip-flop, what would you say? "'No, we’re adaptable. People are asking for it. It would be unreasonable to say, ‘Oh, no scooters, I said no scooters.’ So, we’re going to try them out,” Dyer said.

Electric scooters have a mixed reputation. Some riders have died, including a person in Tampa back in June.

“We’re aware of that and there’s a heavy safety components to the ordinance,” said Orlando Chief Administrative Officer F.J. Flynn.

Vendors will have to host at least six safety training sessions and monitor speed. The scooters cannot go over 10 mph.

The city of Orlando is in talks with five vendors. They will be allowed to bring up to 200 scooters in the city.

Commissioners could see an ordinance as soon as October.

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Cox Media Group