Mayor signs bill to ban gasoline-powered scooters

By Mike Leidemann and Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writers

Mayor Jeremy Harris yesterday signed into law a bill banning gasoline-powered scooters from public streets and sidewalks on O'ahu. The move pleased hundreds of people annoyed by the scooters but it disappointed those who use them for work and for play.

HARRIS

Others, though, were happy the scooters will be off the streets.

"I'm very relieved that the kids will be safe," said Moanalua resident Leilani Ramsey. "I know for many people, the issue was noise, noise, noise, but for me it was always about safety. It's the right thing to do."

Harris said he considered comments from annoyed neighbors, scooter distributors, children and police before deciding to sign the bill.

"Overall, in weighing all of the facts, public safety issues have to outweigh issues of convenience," Harris said yesterday.

Noting that scooter distributors told him the devices can go 28 mph or faster, Harris thought a comment by one teacher was compelling: "Those scooters go faster than the children can think ahead, and they often get into accidents because they go faster than they can anticipate in front of them."

Zachary Lono, a fifth-grade student at Mililani Uka Elementary School, said he was disappointed to hear about the ban and "I think all my friends are going to be disappointed, too."

Zachary, who got a scooter for his ninth birthday last year, said he rides it almost every day and never had an accident or even a close call. Now, he's wondering how he's going to pass the time this summer.

"Maybe I can ride my bike or my Rollerblades or stay in the house and play with my PlayStation 2," he said, without much enthusiasm. "Or maybe I can go ride in the park."

Harris said he sympathized with the disappointed youngsters, but "all in all, I think it's the right thing to do."

The law passed this month by the City Council bars gas-powered motorized scooters that are designed for operators who ride while standing. The bill said the noise from the scooter motors, especially at night, "is unreasonable and constitutes a public menace."

Young riders — and their parents — disagreed.

"They're really safe and wonderful," said Renata Lono, Zachary's mother. "I think people are forgetting what it means to be a kid."

Lono said that Zachary always has to wear shoes, jeans and a helmet when riding his scooter and has strict rules to respect his neighbors: no riding before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

"That teaches basic safety and respect," Lono said. "Banning them is just short-sighted."

Gum, Lono and others suggested that the City Council should have followed the lead of other jurisdictions around the country in regulating the scooters instead of banning them outright. "The streets should be for everybody," Gum said.

Harris seemed to agree, suggesting that the City Council revisit the issue later to set regulations instead of banning the vehicles outright. But for the time being, he indicated, a total ban is preferable to no regulations at all.

Regulations could include a minimum age requirement and a method of operation that would mitigate some of the problems, Harris said.

Meanwhile, the mayor said the law still needs to be amended to tighten loopholes. For instance, the bill only applies to vehicles designed to be ridden standing up, but many of the stand-up scooters can be configured to include a seat.

"If you had one modified so you can sit on it, it may not be covered by this ordinance," Harris said.

The new law does not include specific penalties for those who continue to ride the scooters on streets and sidewalks. For now, violators will face penalties under a generic section of Hawai'i's traffic code that deals with minor violations not spelled out elsewhere, said Capt. Jose Gaytan of the Honolulu Police Department Traffic Division.

While public safety was the major factor in his decision, Harris also said, "I think the nuisance issue is very real." However, he said noise issues alone would not have convinced him to ban the scooters.

Council Transportation Committee Chairman Nestor Garcia has said the council will consider a similar ban on electric-powered scooters this summer.

While electric scooters are quieter, Harris said "If they're both going 28 mph and have the same small wheels and the same safety risk factors, that is more important than the noise problems."

Police on Maui, Kaua'i and the Big Island said yesterday that they are unaware of any specific bans against the gas-powered scooters in those counties and that the devices have not been a significant problem in communities there.