ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A North Carolina city is moving to ban electronic scooters after a fleet of the vehicles unexpectedly appeared in the area last month.
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The Asheville Citizen Times reports the City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to impose a $100 fine for using the scooters on public roads and sidewalks. City Transportation Department Director Ken Putnam says the ban would give Asheville time to review its bike-share and e-scooter feasibility study.
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The council says the California-based Bird scooter company doesn't have the required permits for the scooters, which it says pose a safety risk.
[ALSO READ: North Carolina city gets scooters off streets to review laws]
The scooters can be rented through phone apps and are marketed as an environmentally-friendly way to travel. Putnam says several doctors and a 2017 study note an increasing concern about scooter-related accidents and injuries.
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