ATLANTA – The city of Atlanta is considering changes to its e-scooter and e-bike rental program, which could allow for trips later at night.

On Wednesday, the City Council’s Transportation Committee advanced a measure to extend the curfew for rentals, potentially allowing travel until 2 a.m.

The current curfew for bicycles and scooters is midnight. The restriction was first implemented in 2019 following four fatal accidents involving scooters. Initially, rentals closed at 9 p.m., but this was later extended to midnight.

However, some city leaders say the curfew unfairly limits transportation options for those who work late nights.

“I never really understood why we banned one type of motorized transportation at night when there were others that were just as vulnerable or just as dangerous,” said District 2 Council Member Amir Farokhi .

The council member added that the curfew affects his working-class constituents, particularly “city workers who use scooters to get to their jobs at hotels and restaurants after hours.” to go to the market and return home.

The Atlanta Police Department has raised concerns about the proposed change.

Deputy Chief Carven Tyus told the committee there are safety risks associated with using a scooter late at night.

“We have people using these scooters after dark to commit crimes,” Tyus said. He added that police would like to have more data before implementing a curfew extension. “We’re all concerned about connectivity and people using scooters, but we’re just seeing a different breed of people using these scooters after midnight,” he said.

Farokhi retorted that the curfew is an excessive measure. “When I have a drive-by shooting on Boulevard, APD doesn’t tell me that we have to ban cars between ten and noon because there was a shooting,” he argued.

Some city residents and students have also expressed support for the extended hours.

A master’s student at Georgia Tech who regularly uses a scooter to get around late at night told FOX 5, “As a woman, honestly being able to ride my scooter at night makes me feel a little safer.”

Extending the curfew to 2 a.m. was approved by the Transportation Committee with three yes votes, although most members abstained, saying they wanted to see additional data on scooter safety.

The measure now goes to the full city council for a vote.