St. Paul Asks Company To Get Electric Scooters Off Sidewalks

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- The city of Saint Paul is asking a California-based company to get electric scooters off their sidewalks.

Similar to Uber or Lyft, Bird allows users to rent these electric scooters for a $1 fee, plus 15 cents for every minute you use them.

Sounds easy and convenient, right? Unlike the scooters, not so fast.

The St. Paul Public Works Department claims the company didn't get permission to place their scooters around the city, violating an ordinance which requires a permit for any use of public space or right of way.

They asked Bird to take their scooters away until they get the correct approval, but a spokesperson for the company says they did reach out "before launch and had a productive conversation with their team" on Tuesday.

This isn't the first time these birds have ruffled some feathers.

According to CNN Tech, Bird Scooters are banned in both San Francisco and Denver until regulations are passed.

On Instagram, the account Scooters Behaving Badly showcases the scooters scattered across public sidewalks in California.

City leaders in St. Paul tell WCCO-TV they have no timeline as to if or when they might debate an ordinance that would make the scooters legal there.

In Minneapolis, city council members gave their first round of approval to scooter services on Tuesday.

The city still reserves the right to impound the scooters if they are blocking city sidewalks or streets.