Information for Scooter-Share Program Operators/Vendors

City of Fayetteville Ordinance 6205 lays out regulations for the public use of e-scooters, as well as for companies looking to deploy scooters in the City.

The City of Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas work in tandem to approve and issue vendor permits. Vendor permit fee funds are used to offset additional staffing and materials cost associated with managing e-scooters. Funds will also be used to pay for bike and pedestrian infrastructure and safety initiatives.

Scooter share operators are required to obtain a permit, are limited in the number of scooters they are authorized to deploy, and are subject to additional operational, insurance, and data sharing requirements. Operating authority permits expire six months from the date of issue. 

Issuance of a permit does not authorize the operation of a shared scooter on the University of Arkansas campus or private property without the approval of the property owner.

Essential Guidelines for Operation of Scooter-Share Programs

Below are key guidelines for scooter-share operators. View complete rules and regulations.

• Operators of scooter-share programs should offer a minimum of 100 scooters, and not more than 250. Operators may request an increase to their initial fleet of up to 250 additional shared scooters as part of any permit renewal.
• A scooter-share operator or program shall not charge a per-minute fee to users exceeding one fifth the cost to unlock a shared scooter.
• Rates for shared scooters shall be clearly and understandably communicated to customers prior to use.
• Shared scooters shall be equipped with an on-board GPS unit or equivalent that can report the location of a unit.
• Shared scooters shall employ tamper-resistant security hardware.
• Operators shall provide a method for users to utilize shared-scooter programs without a smartphone.
• Operators shall not permit any person under the age of sixteen (16) to operate a shared scooter.
• The maximum motor-assist speed for licensed units shall be 15 mph when ridden in the street environment.
• Shared scooters must employ an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 h.p.).
• Shared scooters shall be able to securely stand upright when parked.
• Operators must have the ability to implement no-ride zones, the ability to slow scooters, and the ability to prevent parking in areas identified by the City.
• Operators must be capable of quickly identifying and addressing safety and maintenance issues with shared scooters, including a mechanism for customers to notify the company that there is a safety or maintenance concern with the scooter.
• Operators must be capable of remotely disabling the use of a unit if it is reported or found to have a safety, maintenance, or other hazardous condition. 
• A scooter -share operator shall provide anonymized fleet and ride activity data for all trips starting or ending within the City of Fayetteville, and all ride activity data for any trip resulting in an accident report.

Permit Application Requirements

Currently the city-wide cap for the number of e-scooters is full. Applications from new vendors will be held in the order in which they were received. 

To obtain an operating authority permit for scooter-share programs, applicants must complete a scooter share permit application. Applicant should be able to provide the following:

• Documentary evidence from an insurance company that the applicant has secured liability insurance as required
• Documentary evidence of payment of ad valorem taxes on property within the city, if any, to be used in connection with the operation of the proposed shared scooter program;
• A picture of proposed scooter and scooter specifications
• Business Declaration Documents, which shall include: form of the business, if the business is a corporation or association, and documentation verifying the business establishment. 
• Payment of application and fleet fees as detailed below.

Fees

The initial application for a six-month operating authority permit must be accompanied by the non-refundable application fee of $150. A fleet fee fee of $30 per shared scooter will be due after a permit has been issued, but prior to initial launch.

Permit renewal takes place every six months. Operators renewing permits will incur a non-refundable fee of $100, plus a fee of $30 per shared scooter in the operator’s fleet.