Nashville votes against ban of electric scooters

In this May 28, 2019, photo, a woman rides an electronic scooter in downtown Raleigh, N.C. As electric scooters have rolled into more than 100 cities worldwide, many of the people riding them have ended up in the emergency room with serious injuries. Others have been killed. (AP Photo/Amanda Morris)
In this May 28, 2019, photo, a woman rides an electronic scooter in downtown Raleigh, N.C. As electric scooters have rolled into more than 100 cities worldwide, many of the people riding them have ended up in the emergency room with serious injuries. Others have been killed. (AP Photo/Amanda Morris)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Lawmakers of a Tennessee city have voted against a full and complete ban of electric scooters.

The Tennessean reports the Nashville Metro Council voted against the ban Tuesday. Councilman Steve Glover has said the e-scooters weren't rolled out properly and are straining public safety workers. Councilman Fabian Bedne has said the city needs a better way to deal with e-scooter liabilities.

Locally, the Chattanooga City Council temporarily banned dockless electric scooters in July, putting a six-month moratorium on them.

The decision was made after several months of debate on how to legislate the vehicles, amid controversy in Nashville and other cities where safety concerns have swelled around the scooter industry.

Thousands of scooters arrived in Nashville last summer and have been largely embraced, though some have voiced concerns about sidewalk and rider safety. Others have pointed out that people with disabilities have to navigate around the e-scooters, which are often left splayed across sidewalks.

The Nashville Metro Council last month voted to place limited restrictions on scooters, including limiting riding hours and capping the number of operators in the city.

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