Feb. 24, 2016 By Michael Florio
The 114 Precinct cracked down on dangerous electric scooter driving earlier this month.
The precinct seized and summonsed 12 electric bikes over a three-day period in the first week of February, according to the 114th Precinct Commanding Officer Captain Peter Fortune.
The precinct had received numerous complaints from residents regarding the electric scooters, which are often driven by restaurant deliverymen, Fortune said at a 114 community affairs meeting Tuesday night.
The drivers of these scooters go down streets the wrong way, drive on the sidewalks and pass through stop signs and red lights, Fortune said.
“We targeted the hazardous operators,” he said.
In a three-day span, beginning on Feb. 1, the Precinct seized 12 electric bikes. The Precinct also issued Environmental Control Board summonses, which can cost up to $500, to the restaurant owners who sent the drivers out.
“We didn’t target the operators because they work for the restaurant,” Fortune said. “We went after the root of the problem and issued it to the owners of the restaurant.”
The owner of the restaurant has to show proof that they paid the summons before they can get the scooter back.
In addition, the Precinct attempted to educate both restaurant owners who use this delivery system and the drivers who operate these scooters.
“We stopped drivers and told them that they have to follow the rules of the road,” Fortune said. “We also went to restaurants and told the owners the same.”
Fortune added that he is working with Councilman Costa Constantinides’ office to reach out to the businesses that rent out these electric scooters to the restaurant owners.
“If we could get them to stop renting these out so frequently we could get it under control,” he said.
Fortune did not disclose the 12 restaurants that were penalized.
