Electric ‘Bird’ Scooters Invade Lubbock

The electric scooter company called Bird has made its presence well known in the Hub City over the month of September.

Without warning, Lubbock residents began to see Bird scooters on sidewalks and street corners just a few weeks ago and especially in North Lubbock, around Tech Terrace and Texas Tech University.

The scooters, which have a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour, have quickly become popular among students at Texas Tech that don’t own a bike and don’t want to walk to class.

The electric scooters can be used by anyone 18 years or older. All they have to do is use Bird’s mobile app to scan the scooter ID code to unlock the wheels. Using a scooter costs just $1 and then 15 cents per minute.

According to KAMC News, there are over 300 Bird scooters in Lubbock right now, but their presence here could be short-lived. It's being reported that Bird may be violating a city ordinance that requires ride-share scooter companies to have a connection to a higher education institution, and Bird does not.