‘It’s a little disappointing’; MU still regularly impounding electric scooters
University of Missouri staff have been impounding Bird scooters regularly for blocking sidewalks, according to a university spokesman.
“It’s a little disappointing that we’re continuing to have these issues, and we’re not seeing them necessarily decrease,” said Christian Basi of MU. “(The scooters) can catch people by surprise. They can cause trip hazards. They can create significant problems and, in some cases, significant injuries.”
When Bird scooters first arrived in Columbia last year, they brought frustration with them, according to Basi. “They just showed up on campus, it was very difficult to realize the types of safety hazards they were creating.”
A representative from Bird told ABC 17 News that the company is working closely with the university.
“We greatly appreciate the partnerships we have with the city and university and hope to continue to find ways for our service to more seamlessly be integrated into the city’s fabric,” a Bird representative said in an email.
The university signed an agreement with Bird scooters in early May that allows MU to impound any scooter blocking a walkway or other road.
Read the full agreement between the University of Missouri and Bird scooters below:
The university issues a $100 fine to Bird for every scooter seized and requires an additional $50 per day for storage.
The Bird phone app shows a warning for users to “avoid a $100 fine” by parking scooters at a bike rack.
Basi said the agreement outlines several conditions designed to ensure user safety, but that Bird’s operations on campus are still far from perfect.
“There are some steps that are being taken. We know that more work needs to be done,” Basi said.
One of the conditions in the agreement requires Bird to reduce the speed of all scooters when traveling through certain high-volume areas around campus. Examples of so-called slow-zones include residential buildings and parking garages.
The purpose of the zones, according to Basi, is to serve as a disincentive for riders in congested areas.
The university is also working on an educational video for students and other users to help teach where to park scooters.
Caylan Steed, an MU student, said she thinks the scooters are a hazard on campus.
“I’ve seen people, like, collide, both being on Birds. Or people try to fit two or three people on a Bird and it’s like, ‘That’s completely not safe, someone’s going to fall off.'”
