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City of L.A. Approve Rules for Electric Scooters, Setting Speed Limit and Aid for Low-Income Riders

People ride electric Bird scooters in this undated image. (Credit: Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the city’s first set of rules for the companies that have deposited thousands of electric scooters on sidewalks in neighborhoods from the Westside to Koreatown.

The council created a one-year program to allow any company to apply for a permit to deploy up to 10,500 scooters. The temporary rules will give transportation officials time to tinker with the policies before lawmakers approve a permanent plan, they said.

Tuesday’s vote follows months of debate over how Los Angeles should address the Bird and Lime scooters that began popping up on city sidewalks nearly a year ago.

The zippy vehicles have created a new, fun way for people to travel through the city, but have prompted complaints about haphazard parking, careless riders on crowded sidewalks and users who don’t wear helmets.

Read the full story at LATimes.com.

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