AUSTIN — Dockless electric scooters are popping up around downtown Austin, giving residents and tourists a new way to explore the city. But the companies that own those scooters are operating without permission, according to the city.
As of Monday, only two companies were operating within the city: Bird and LimeBike.
Austin Transportation Department's assistant director of smart mobility, Jason JonMichael, told KVUE neither company has a permit to operate in Austin.
"I would implore that these two companies stop what they're doing and respect the public process that we've started," he said.
JonMichael's department is developing a pilot program that would detail how these companies would operate within the city and how a dockless bike or scooter program would work.
But until that program is developed and finalized, the city will continue to impound scooters that violate the city's abandoned property ordinance. As of April 5, the city has impounded more than 50 scooters.
"We will continue to enforce for safety, for tripping hazards, the ADA," JonMichael said. "Hopefully, we'll see some better behavior in the future."