WASHINGTON — As more and more mopeds are popping up around D.C., police are reminding everyone of the rules of the road.
The Metropolitan Police Department has launched Operation Ride Right in an attempt to get people in the District to follow all regulations and to keep everyone safe.
Here are the do's and the don'ts:
- Mopeds are required by D.C. law to be insured, licensed and registered with the government.
- It is illegal to drive on sidewalks and bike lanes.
- Drivers must wear a helmet
Officers will be out on the streets enforcing these rules.
For months mopeds have flooded the streets of DC. The proliferation of mopeds seems to be driven by newly arrived migrants from South and Central America working as food delivery drivers.
"Life is very hard If you don't have a valid work permit," a Venezuelan migrant named Christian told us.
But they’ve also courted controversy, such as reports of illegal driving, crashing into cars, and driving in bike lanes.
D.C.'s 'Ride Right' initiative is geared at cracking down on some of the dangerous practices.
“I'm all for safety, I'm all for people registering vehicles," Abel Nunez from the Central American Resource Center said. "But we also can't make it too difficult so that they can't make a living.”
Nunez is actively working with District and councilmembers to find a middle ground for the migrant-led moped industry. A way to regulate, but not create barriers for migrants to work.
Nunez points out if the migrants can't provide for their families they could cost the District more in the long run.
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