Vendors ordered to secure e-scooters in Florida ahead of Hurricane Dorian

MIAMI — Cities across Florida have instructed electric scooter vendors to gather the ride-share vehicles from along streets and sidewalks so they don’t become dangerous projectiles as Hurricane Dorian approaches.

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A Miami official called the confluence of hurricane-force winds and the contraptions that clutter cityscapes “scooternado.” Hurricane Dorian has 150 mph winds and was still churning off the Atlantic coast as of Saturday evening.

"Yes, all scooters will be removed from (Miami) streets by Friday," City Commissioner Ken Russell tweeted with the hashtag "#scooternado."

Lyft, which operates in Miami, removed and secured its 244 scooters.

"We will resume operations only once conditions improve and will continue to follow the guidance provided by the City of Miami," Lyft officials told USA Today.

Other Florida cities have also worked with e-scooter operators to secure their fleets.

"Spin will not be deploying scooters during the severe weather, and all Spin scooters on the ground will be retrieved well before the storm is expected to arrive," Maria Buczkowski, spokeswoman with Spin, told USA Today. "We have communicated deployment changes to all regional operations teams expected to see impact, and we will be activating an in-app modal to inform riders of the service update."

Lime removed 1,500 scooters and 500 bicycles in Orlando, Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

"Lime is pulling our fleets in Orlando, Miami and Fort Lauderdale and reducing our fleet size in Tampa to prepare for Hurricane Dorian," Lime spokeman Russell Murphy told USA Today. "We're in touch with each city and will comply with any request to prioritize safety. We're also communicating with our riders to let them know of these steps and to encourage them to follow the guidance of their local authorities and remain safe."

Cox Media Group