Smyrna bans dockless e-scooters, bikes, as Atlanta grapples with enforcing regulations

While Atlanta leaders agonize over how to regulate ubiquitous dockless e-scooters and bikes scattered around town, City of Smyrna officials have opted to put an end to the madness.

This week, the Smyrna City Council elected to bar all shareable dockless vehicles within city limits, according to WSB.

The move comes on the heels of multiple other metro Atlanta cities, such as Alpharetta and Marietta, pulling the plug on the new transportation option.

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, elected officials are also weighing a temporary ban on the devices, at least until they can study how to make them safer for riders, pedestrians, and motorists.

Atlanta City Council

Police officials have said they’re going to begin a serious crackdown on e-scooter-related misbehavior, such as riding or parking on sidewalks.

Violating the dockless vehicle laws the Atlanta City Council passed in January could even land riders with up to a $1,000 fine, police said.

It’s worth noting the city’s Department of Public Works has been imposing just a fraction of that penalty on the operating companies.

The department’s Solid Waste Education and Enforcement Team (SWEET) has been charging a $75 per vehicle fee to impound e-scooters and bikes, plus $25 per vehicle per day to store them at a city facility in Lakewood Heights.

City officials did not respond to Curbed Atlanta’s inquiries regarding how that $100 figure was determined, or why it’s nowhere close to the $1,000 fine for riders, although a spokesperson said the vehicles are being picked up on a daily basis.

A Curbed poll conducted last month found that, out of 1,123 participants, at least 67 percent think e-scooters should stick around Atlanta, although at least 35 percent of people want to see tougher regulations.