E-Scooter Operators Line Up to Dominate Streets of San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- Getting around San Francisco on two wheels can mean a lot of things these days but soon it will mean more scooters. The city has just approved new permits, doubling the number of scooters in the city.

Zack Shapiro uses scooters and said, "It's a great option to expand because it's a more environmentally-friendly way to get people around and S.F. has a pretty major traffic problem."

There are plenty of people who worry scooters may cause another problem.

Dennis, who doesn't like scooters, said he "was walking down the street and one almost hit me, so ... I am not in favor of them on the streets."

The companies Jump, Lime, Scoot and Spin will be given one-year permits for 1,000 scooters each, including the possibility of to expanding the fleet to 2,500.

Those scooters will now cover twice the area as before, including low-income neighborhoods. They are required to be locked to bike racks, they must not be operated on the sidewalk and users can be tracked and suspended for bad behavior. If they don't, it could come back to bite the companies and riders alike, adding the impetus for everyone to follow the rules or risk losing their scooters.

The new 12-month permits will go into effect on Oct. 15.