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CALL 6: Indy to aggressively crack down on scooters parked incorrectly

Posted at 6:00 AM, Oct 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-03 14:30:43-04

INDIANAPOLIS – It's been about a month since scooters have made their return to Indianapolis - and if you walk down any block in the city you'll likely spot one from Bird or Lime nearby. 

Since their return, concerns have been pouring into the RTV6 newsroom, and one of the biggest has been how riders are parking the scooters when they're finished using them. 

In some areas, riders are dropping scooters off in the middle of the sidewalk, leaving little room for people to walk by, let alone enough room for someone in a wheelchair or using a walker. 

The city of Indianapolis’ Department of Business and Neighborhood Services says they've heard your concerns, and they're now cracking down on the illegal parking of scooters. 

According to the city's ordinance, scooters cannot be parked in loading zones, bus stops, shelters or on ramps leading to sidewalks. They also can't block entrances or exits to homes or businesses, and they have to be parked upright. 

If parking your scooter on a sidewalk, you must leave at least four feet of passable sidewalk space for pedestrian use. 

According to the city, inspectors will start writing tickets each time they find a scooter parked illegally. For now, those $25 tickets will go to the scooter company, but it might not be long before you see them hitting your wallet too. 

READ | Electric scooters back in Indy | Who's enforcing Indy's scooter laws? | CALL 6: IMPD given green light to enforce scooter ordinances, according to an internal memo

“We don’t like passing these costs along to riders, as this is a relatively new mobility option in Indianapolis, but we may have to do so,” Lime said in an email to RTV6. “We also hope to see the substantial funds we are paying to the city to operate here go to ordinance enforcement.”

While Bird sent us responses to other inquiries we made about scooters in Indianapolis, they did not answer our questions about the ticket enforcement and what they plan to do with the tickets.

Both companies say you can report illegally parked scooters inside their respective apps, and company representatives will be dispatched to handle it.

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