PPCC Declares War Against Electric Scooters

By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA | Reporter

The Pacific Palisades Community Council voted to seek strict regulations on dockless electric scooters and bicycles at their biweekly meeting on Thursday,
May 9.

After an unidentified rider on a Lime scooter collided with a local priest, giving him a concussion and leaving him in need of several stitches, the community council drafted a strong rebuke on companies such as Bird, Lime and Jump scooters that can be found throughout the Pacific Palisades.

“I think that doing business in the city of Los Angeles is a privilege, and that privilege should be restricted to make sure that these businesses act as responsible citizens,” said Steve Boyers, Area 7 representative. “I think it’s outrageous that we’ve permitted these businesses to operate this way.”

Boyers further recommended the creation of a committee to work with city council to “put pressure on the resolution” of the issue.

“If we don’t take the initiative, based upon what has already happened to affect some change in the responsibility of these companies, then we are going to have these companies licensed in a manner which we’re going to find unacceptable in terms of protecting the public safety,” Boyers said.

The written resolution introduced by Boyers laid out his intentions more clearly, stating specifically that businesses and Dockless Mobility Permits may be suspended and revoked for any company “operating in the city that fails or refuses to cooperate fully with law enforcement in providing information about the user of its Dockless Mobility Device involved in an accident causing injury to another person.”

Further, the council is demanding that rules and data protection policies be amended to allow for full cooperation with law enforcement.

The resolution, which was unanimously supported by the rest of the council, now puts the PPCC on a collision course of their own with the controversial transportation companies who have specifically vowed to protect user information.

“We will provide responsive records in accordance with our terms, policies, and applicable law,” states Lime Scooters in their privacy notice. “We require a subpoena issued in connection with an official criminal investigation to compel the disclosure of basic information.”

The PPCC will now send a copy of their newly adopted resolution to Councilmember Mike Bonin, Mayor Eric Garcetti and all members of the Los Angeles City Council, “to emphasize the importance of this safety concern to the residents of Pacific Palisades.”