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Thursday, March 22, 2012

New Requirements Could Soon Come for Mopeds, Scooters in Maryland

SALISBURY, Md.- Titles may soon be required for mopeds and motor scooters, along with liability insurance, helmets and protective eyewear for operators.

The bill, which received preliminary approval in the Senate Tuesday, would be similar to current motorcycle laws in Maryland. These new requirements would apply to mopeds and scooters with less than 2.7 horsepower.

The bill may be designed for safety but not everyone thinks it's a good idea.

"Most of our customers buy scooters because they can't afford cars. So, if you're increasing the regulation for it, making it more expensive for those people, then obviously I'm going to think that's a bad idea," said Zach Bankert, owner of Scooter Boy in Salisbury.

"We sell scooters starting at $750, so if you're talking about adding insurance on an annual basis and tags and title and all that, at some point, you're increasing the cost of the scooter by 30%," Bankert pointed out.

If the bill passes, any new purchases of scooters or mopeds would come with a mandatory $20 title fee and $5 decal fee upon being sold. Owners of older mopeds and scooters would also be required to obtain the title and decal within a year of July 1, 2013.

Bankert told WBOC his store, like many others, has seen demand for mopeds and scooters go up along with rising gas prices. Supporters of the bill, including the Motor Vehicle Administration, cite this increased demand as a need to promote safety on Maryland roads.

The bill would also require riders to wear helmets and protective eyewear, which Bankert feels is unnecessary.

"If a customer wants to wear a helmet, I think that should be their choice. Obviously, it's a smart idea to but I don't see why the state necessarily has to legislate that."

Some WBOC viewers expressed concerns the proposed bill may hurt the rental business in Ocean City.

Others, like Stephanie Jeanette of West Ocean City, support the bill, saying, "If I have to have insurance to drive my car, why shouldn't they have to have insurance as well? If you want to ride a scooter, then go buy one and pay all the fees associated with owning a vehicle!"

Agreed Brenda Enders, "As a motorcycle rider, I think it's a long time coming. These are motor vehicles with a top speed of 35 mph. You can be killed falling or getting hit at that speed."

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I think it's a good, actually this is our own benefit cause it's for our safety also no one like to pay for insurance but it's very necessary for us.

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Scootercity