Are scooters becoming a nuisance in Toledo? Locals share concerns

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - They’ve become the new way to get around parts of Toledo, but sometimes they get left in all kinds of areas.

We’re talking about those battery-powered scooters, the green and black ones you may have seen around town. There’s some frustration about where they end up when the ride is done.

When Pat Bennett woke up on a Sunday morning, she found a few new items decorating the sidewalk outside her home near one entrance to Swan Creek Metropark.

“Couple of scooters that have been here for a while now,” said Bennett. Originally they sat on the sidewalk. Someone uprighted them, but there they sat for days.

“I figured someone would pick them up in a day or two,” said Bennett.

It took several days later for the VEO scooters to finally go away. The popular scooters first arrived in Toledo in 2021 and the program restarted in March. The updated version includes scooters and bikes.

After downloading the app, riders use their phones to scan one and take off. But where they end up has people bothered.

“I think the program is good. I do. I think it’s a nice thing, it’s a good program, but you would think being efficient on picking them up and getting them back to wherever they charge and all that would be a priority,” said Bennett.

The company says it directs riders on how to park them properly, leaving them upright and parked on the edge of the sidewalk. They’re not supposed to block access to the sidewalk. They’re also not supposed to be leaning against buildings, in parking lots, or on private property.

But already we’ve seen that’s not always happening. VEO offers a discount if you park it in what they call “lucky zones” across the city or the University of Toledo campus.

Riders are told to take pictures of the parked scooters after the ride. The company says an improperly parked one gets a warning the first time, a $15 dollar fine the second time, and future problems will incur future fines. As for picking them up, the company does track each one with GPS. If they get notice of improperly parked scooters, the company says they retrieve them. Any scooter that ends up sitting there for more than 72 hours is made a priority to pick up.

If you spot one improperly parked and want to report it, you can call VEO directly: 855 VEO-2256.

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