Wichita City Council members have voted unanimously to do away with the nighttime curfew on the use of electric scooters in the community.
The city previously had a restriction that began at dusk or 9 p.m., whichever is earlier, and ended at sunrise. Veo, the company providing the electric scooters, asked the city to look at changes to extend the hours of operation. Wichita is the only city in the Midwest and Plains region that has a curfew on scooters.
Interim Wichita Transit Director Penny Feist said the Police Department recommended wording in the ordinance to call for headlamps and reflectors for safety, similar to those required on bicycles. She said the company providing the scooters already has lamps and reflectors on them. The person riding the scooter is responsible for making sure the headlamp is working and Feist said Veo has an app that allows users to report a problem.
Feist said data from the past five years indicates that more people are using the scooters around 6 to 7 p.m.
The Council voted to approve the ordinance changes to remove the curfew and allow the use of electric scooters during the nighttime hours.
