NEW CASTLE, PA. Police to issue scooter citations

Complaints about juvenile scooter operators are growing, police say.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Police will crack down on the illegal operation of motorized scooters on city streets and sidewalks.
Chief John Kindel said his department has received an opinion from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation that says the use of the scooters is "both illegal and inherently dangerous."
The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code requires that scooters with motors meet regular vehicle titling, registration and driver's license requirements. There are no exemptions for operators of motorized scooters, Kindel said.
The scooters also must meet insurance and inspection requirements, and are prohibited from running on sidewalks, he said.
Kindel said there has been an influx of the scooters into the city recently and also a growing number of complaints from people about juveniles using them.
Enforcing laws
His department is taking "a pro-active approach" toward enforcing state laws regarding the scooters and will follow the state vehicle code which prescribes citations and fines for violators.
"One of our main goals is the safety of all motorists in the city of New Castle. And for that reason, public notice and strict enforcement are paramount," Kindel said.
"The use of motorized scooters on the highways of this commonwealth is illegal and their use is clearly and inherently dangerous," wrote Atty. Matthew X. Haeckler, assistant counsel-in-charge of PennDOT's Motor Vehicle Section.
They are motor vehicles and must first be registered with the state and that requires the owner to have a certificate of title issued by the state, his opinion said.
The scooters must be inspected and display a current valid certificate of inspection and be insured if driven on a roadway, Haeckler wrote.
Further, the operator must have a valid driver's license, and state law bans all motor vehicles (except vehicles such as motorized wheelchairs) from operating on a sidewalk, he wrote.