When it comes to potentially out-lawing small, motorized vehicle rentals, like scoot coupes, the Town of Ocean City seems to be exercising the right amount of discretion and fairness.
During a broader conversation about electric bike rentals in January, Councilman Will Savage asked the city to consider banning the rental of the familiar scooters, scoot coupes, mopeds and the like in Ocean City in the interest of public safety. At one time, there were several businesses renting these modes of transportation. It was difficult for years to watch as these vehicles darted in and out of traffic from the bus lanes with reckless abandon.
Recognizing the inherent safety issues associated with visitors – most of the immature ilk – renting these scooters for use on a congested highway, the city in 2012 enacted required training and practice areas and restrictions on where they could be used, putting more than 10 operators out of business effectively. Last summer there was only one operator, Cycle City, renting the vehicles. The new regulations have severely cut down on the number of these small vehicles on resort roadways, but there are times when large groups are still seen, and the safety concerns are obvious.
Savage’s request to ban these small vehicle rentals was rooted in reason, suggesting to allow any business owner with an existing license in good standing to be able to continue until April 1, 2026. There are two existing licenses but only one business rented these vehicles last summer.
The sole operator and his attorney came before the Mayor and Council last month asking for reconsideration of the prohibition. Staff and council members met with the operator in an attempt to compromise and further regulate the business, such as with age limits, group size restrictions and keeping a log of incidents. Furthermore, at last week’s meeting, it was agreed the city would place a moratorium of sorts on any new rental licenses while collecting its own incident data over the summer to provide further facts to the safety and community impact of these vehicles.
The handling of this matter and the process has been commendable. A councilman, Savage, put forward a request to ban the small vehicles out of public safety concerns he has observed as a citizen, business owner and first responder. The operator cried foul asking for a compromise as a result of marketplace changes. The city obliged essentially in favor of collecting a summer of data with a plan to revisit the situation later in the year. Even if the matter has council support to move forward with a ban, the existing operator will have three years to pivot and adjust to the law change. It may not be ideal to the operator, but there’s no disputing city government is being fair in evaluating the issue.
