Miami Beach commissioners on Wednesday voted to allow scooter rentals during Memorial Day Weekend, but made a decision to ban them during the month of March beginning next year.
An initial proposal had called for the ban to be enforced during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend, but commissioners opted against such as heated debate sparked from both sides of the issue.
Supporters of the ban argue the scooters are a clear public safety issue, especially in big crowds.
But others indicate the ban is going to be a major blow to the city’s scooter rental shops and many business owners.
Officials said the commission’s decision will help keep residents and visitors safer while reducing noise levels, all priorities for authorities during high-impact dates in the city.
The attorney representing several scooter companies, Juan Carlos Planas, said he’s happy that the ban will not include Memorial Day, but he hopes to work with the city to amend the current ordinance which will ban them next March.
“I think there are a number of ways to make this industry more safe than to simply shut down a business for a month,” he said. “That’s the taking of a business, and if the city goes through with that, we’ll have to sue because it would shut our businesses down.”