Permanent e-scooters win unanimous approval of Pensacola City Council

A permanent e-scooter program is one step closer to the finish line.

The Pensacola City Council voted unanimously to amend the city's micro-mobility ordinance to make the e-scooter rental program permanent on Thursday.

The vote comes after a more than year-long pilot program with two scooter rental companies. At the conclusion of the program, the city opted for to allow only the rental of seated scooters.

The updated ordinance, which will still require a second vote at the next City Council meeting to pass, updates the program to allow the city to issue new permits to rental companies.

The permits will carry an annual fee and a per-ride fee that will be approved by the City Council and will pay for the enforcement of rules surrounding the e-scooter rental program.

New ordinance: Scooters may be here to stay. Pensacola looks to make e-scooter program permanent.

The new ordinance also creates a "forced parking" area in the downtown section of the city, which will require renters to park the scooters only in designated parking areas.

The ordinance also allows for electric and traditional bike rental companies to be able to apply for a permit under the program.

Veo is the only company currently offering e-scooter rentals in the city. At the next City Council meeting, the council will approve a new agreement with Veo to operate under the new ordinance.

Jim Little can be reached at jwlittle@pnj.com and 850-208-9827.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: e-scooters in Pensacola win unanimous approval of City Council