Omaha plans test of electric scooter sharing

Omaha is planning a pilot project for electric scooters that would be available for rental.

The city is seeking proposals from companies interested in participating in the test, which will run from late March until mid-November.

The scooters would be dockless - no permanent home - so they could be left anywhere. The scooters would have GPS devices so users can see where they are and the companies that own them can find them and retrieve them to be charged for more use.

The scooters likely would be barred from sidewalks and major thoroughfares with far higher speed limits than the scooters can scoot: about 15 mph (24 kph).

A company app lets people access the scooters. The rental cost can vary from city to city, but generally $1 to start the scooter and 15 cents per minute of use.