SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- San Diego's City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a package aimed at regulating the devices.
Councilmembers said Tuesday that the regulations are to improve public safety while also keeping dockless scooter companies in the region as a transportation option.
The rules will limit the speed of dockless scooters to eight miles per hour in high-traffic areas. The regulations further cut speed limits to three miles per hour in areas such as the Embarcadero and the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade.
"At the end of the day this is a good starting point,'' said City Councilman Scott Sherman. "It's not going to be where we end up. The fact that both sides probably aren't totally happy with what is happening here today means we probably have a fairly good deal somewhere in the middle.''
Bird, Lime and Razor will be required to use geofencing technology on their scooters to limit the speeds and parking abilities in designated areas.
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The regulations also ban scooter riders from parking near hospitals, schools, beach area boardwalks, the Petco Park perimeter and certain parts of the Embarcadero.
The city council plans to designate scooter parking zones along streets to decrease the number of scooters on sidewalks.
Under the new rules, scooter companies will be required to obtain six-month operational permits and pay $150 per scooter or bike each year.
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The city plans to use state grant funding to pay local law enforcement officers overtime to enforce the regulations.
City News Service contributed to this report.
