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Virginia Beach could ban e-scooters from the Oceanfront

Virginia Beach City Council could ban the scooters from the resort area, at least temporarily, over safety concerns.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — They're hard to miss at the oceanfront.

Tourists like Kdrian Lewis was just one of the dozens of people flying around the Oceanfront on an e-scooter to get from one place to another.

"Oh, very convenient. Very," she said of the scooters.

But, even with so many using them, Virginia Beach City Council could ban the scooters from the resort area, at least temporarily, over safety concerns.

"There's not enough regulation right now to ensure safety," said Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson.

She requested the ban, along with Mayor Bobby Dyer, Vice Mayor Jim Wood, and Councilman Louis Jones.

In a meeting last week, they talked about how the scooters have already resulted in people getting injured and many people not obeying rules, such as wearing helmets and where to properly ride them.

"This is a temporary thing so we can maybe control the numbers and have them work more closely to keep people safe," said Councilwoman Wilson.

According to the ordinance, this ban covers everything east of Arctic Avenue from Rudee Loop all the way to the north side of 42nd Street, as well as streets where the speed limit exceeds 25 miles per hour.

But, not all council members feel it's necessary to ban the scooters.

Councilman Michael Berlucchi said in last week's meeting that safety does concern him as well, but keep in mind the people who are responsibly using them.

"I've also received a lot of positive feedback and I think we need to keep in mind that there are thousands, tens of thousands, of users of this technology who are favorable to it," he said in the August 6 meeting.

Councilwoman Wilson said she understands there's a very practical use for the scooters, but safety comes first.

"No one wants anyone to get hurt," said Councilwoman Wilson.

She said it's possible there will be a vote at next Tuesday night's city council meeting.

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