New electric scooters in Oklahoma City are illegal on sidewalks, use on streets unclear

If you've visited downtown Oklahoma City since Thursday morning, you've probably seen them zipping along city sidewalks and streets. But Oklahoma City police say operating Bird motor scooters along sidewalks is illegal and questions about their usage on city streets remain unclear.

About 50 of the Bird electric scooters were placed around downtown Oklahoma City on Wednesday, as part of what the company was calling a “pilot program” to test the dockless scooters.

Under Oklahoma City ordinance, police said it's illegal to operate the electric scooters along city sidewalks. Initially, police also said it was illegal to operate the scooters along city streets, but later clarified that there was not an ordinance that explicitly banned the use of the motor scooters.

A city ordinance pertaining to motorcycles and motor scooter equipment does state, however, that motor scooters be outfitted with equipment for street usage that the Bird devices do not have, such as mirrors.