The city of Tampa has introduced new rules around popular micro-mobility vehicles like e-scooters and e-bikes.
E-vehicle riders are now expected to park at docking stations around downtown Tampa or face a fine up to $5. These new e-vehicle corrals will be shared among multiple vendors.
The program aims to curb the abundance of e-vehicles left in random locations and blocking sidewalks across downtown Tampa.
Tampa Mobility Director Vik Bhide says he's hoping the rules lead to clearer walkways, and more safety overall.
"Generally, when there's a fine associated with an improper action. It does, unfortunately, yield better results,” Bhide said during a Monday news conference.
There is also an incentivized return program for people who come across improperly parked e-vehicles.
“We also have a bounty program in place that will reward people for doing the right thing. If you return the scooter to its appropriate dock, you will receive a credit," Bhide said.
Bhide mentioned that the structure of this credit system is up to individual e-vehicle vendors, but he says the city will hold vendors accountable if they do not comply with the new docking station rules.
They will do so by monitoring the data shared from e-scooters, administered in partnership with the University of South Florida.
They'll track if fines are being given out, along with the number of e-scooters and e-bikes being used, to determine if the new rules are effective.
“We're absolutely going to implement these measures, and this could include terminating a particular company's program altogether if they're not complying,” Bhide said.
“We take this aspect of our program very seriously. We've wanted to implement this program for a while.”
Bhide mentioned that some of the most crucial reasons motivating this program stem from ADA accessibility concerns, particularly in areas of the city with high e-vehicle presence.
He says these scooters have exacerbated challenges faced by people in wheelchairs on already narrow downtown Tampa sidewalks.
“Even one improperly parked scooter can hinder access for someone in a wheelchair or someone that needs some sort of assistive device, that's a concern,” Bhide said.
Bhide said more docking stations will be added around the downtown area in the coming weeks, with plans to expand it to other areas like Hyde Park and Ybor City.
An online form to suggest locations for new docking stations is available here.
