Wichita city council member James Clendenin said Thursday it will take time to get used to the presence of electric scooters on city streets.
Zagster deployed 500 scooters in the downtown area and other locations during the past week, and Clendenin said there’s always a learning curve when something new is introduced to the community. He said police have been working to enforce the regulations that were approved by the city council, and the main priority is safety.
During a news conference at city hall, Clendenin emphasized that this is a trial program, and he said the city council may adjust the rules and regulations based on the results of the program and on feedback from the community.
Clendenin said he has seen a lot of smiling faces in the community with the new scooters, and “I’m glad that we’re doing something critical that we don’t always talk enough about, and that’s making Wichita more fun.” He said people will have fun with the scooters, as long as they’re following the rules.
Wichita police sent a message on Twitter reminding people that scooters cannot be operated on sidewalks. They can be used on streets and bike paths that are marked 35 miles per hour or less.
Two other companies are planning to deploy scooters in Wichita under the pilot program.
