UT students could face $150 fine for incorrectly parking their motorized scooters

Students at the University of Texas received an e-mail on Wednesday saying parking and transportation safety would like to remind everyone who uses scooters like bird and lime, that they must be operated according to campus rules and regulations. Transportation safety says if they don't see an improvement in the way people handle their rides, there will be a $150 impound fee for misplaced scooters.

Since last semester, Meaghan O' Connor has been riding Bird scooters since they first became available to use on campus. “Amazing I absolutely love it there's some always by my apartment so I'll just hop on and ride down Rio and literally take it all the way up to McCombs so I literally ride all the way up to my class,” she says.

O’ Connor says a walk that normally takes her 35 minutes, on her scooter it takes her 10 minutes.

“It’s a massive difference,” she adds.

She along with the entire student body at the University of Texas, faculty and staff received this email on Wednesday, reminding folks to pay attention and follow the rules when it comes to bike safety. 

Dell Seton Hospital tells FOX 7 Austin since May 1st, they've had 8 severe trauma patients due to scooter injuries, including 5 head injuries and 3 orthopedic injuries.

This week in Dallas, a 24-year-old man died after being involved in an accident involving an electric scooter. He was on his way home when he fell and injured his foot. A Lyft driver found him unresponsive. On Saturday, FOX 7 Austin caught someone on camera riding a motorized scooter, while holding his toddler, on a very busy 6th street.

So to increase awareness on safety and parking UT’s Parking and Transportation services says if they don't see an improvement in the way people handle their rides, there will be a $150 impound fee for misplaced scooters.

O’Connor says, "Oooh that's a pretty steep fine for leaving a scooter somewhere but I mean I get it because people will leave them in the middle of a sidewalk and throw them down on the side of a road."

Vladimir Kupec who’s also a senior at UT says he’s seen several people throw their scooters down in grassy areas. "I guess I'll just stop riding them if the fines get to big,” he adds.

In the email, parking and transportation services says scooters should be parked near bike racks so they don't block access or get in the way of pedestrian traffic. Scooters can't be parked in pedestrian pathways, vehicle parking spaces (including ADA), on ADA ramps, stairwells, inside buildings, doorways, or other areas where they block entrances and exits.

Parking services also says once a scooter is impounded, the scooter company will be notified of the fee and will charge the last scooter user. Again, this is if they don't see a change on campus safety wise.