BEAUMONT, Texas — Electric scooters could be available soon as an alternative way to navigate through Beaumont.
Bird scooters, a publicly traded company based in Santa Monica, California, are famous in larger urban cities and officials say, there's a market for it in Beaumont too.
On Tuesday, the Beaumont City Council heard a proposal from Bird to start bringing their electric scooters to this area.
Director of Planning and Community Development Chris Boone says if the council approves it, the Bird scooters could be in Southeast Texas as soon as March 2022.
"We were a little bit surprised when the city, you know, our size was approached. I think if nothing else, we should let the market decide. So let's see, see if it works, and if it works, and there's demand then, you know, expect they'll stay," he said.
Although most reactions are mixed, most Southeast Texans are open to testing it and seeing what happens.
Courtney Talmadge, a resident from Buna, can envision adding the electric scooter as part of her fun day out exploring Beaumont.
"I think it would be a great asset to the city. I think that anything we can bring into the city to help grow it and help get people here. I think it's a great opportunity," she said.
Before anything can become set in stone, the city will have to work with the company to ensure certain safety measures will be in place.
Boone says there are important questions that need to be answered, such as where the scooters are placed when they're done being used, the speed limit of scooters and if there are any areas in the city they shouldn't be used.
If all the details work out, the spring season could bring Bird scooters to Beaumont.
The scooters can be booked through an app on your phone. The first minute is $1 followed by different rates after that.
The average cost for the user is usually around six or seven dollars per ride.