SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - As the summer moves on and a sense of normalcy returns from the coronavirus pandemic, some San Diego neighborhoods are seeing the return of electric scooter-related issues.
The City of San Diego saw an increase in scooter-related issues reported through the city’s Get It Done app beginning in February.
The 2021 data by month:
January: 265
February: 1,142
March: 3,810
April: 5,211
May: 4,065
June: 4,198
There were also 348 reports made during the Fourth of July weekend.
In comparison, March was the month with the highest reported number of scooter incidents in 2020, with 2,139.
The City also kept track of the unique, un-duplicated number of individuals making a report each month. That data is as follows for 2021:
January: 83
February: 90
March: 150
April: 138
May: 122
June: 127
Safe Walkways SD, which advocates for the restoration of safety for pedestrians on city walkways, says the issues with scooters stem from people not following many of the rules. They range from safety concerns of people riding on sidewalks and riding the wrong way on one-way streets. The other issue is clutter and people leaving the scooters in places they’re not supposed to be.
The City says it takes every report seriously and is considered important to be reviewed for compliance and operator response.
ABC 10News reached out to several of the scooter companies operating in San Diego for comment.
Tim Harter, Director of Government Partnerships with Bird, said:
“Our mission is to ensure San Diego roads are safe for residents and riders alike while offering eco-friendly transportation. Bird is dedicated to ensuring our riders follow the rules of the road in San Diego. We offer engaging education campaigns across our platforms and complement these efforts with technology that enhances our programs. We also take effective measures when someone violates our terms of the road and both warn and ban unsafe riders from our service."
