Every positive innovation in an area or culture, both large and small, brings with it the possibility of improving the quality of life. Some innovations are massive, and are more directly tied to that quality of life: where people live, how easy it is for people to access daily necessities like food and water, and how easy it is for them to access public resources like education and healthcare.

However, some aspects of an area or culture’s quality of life aren’t as obvious or emphasized as these. Environmental quality, local traffic and local culture are some of these important functions. And one of the newest types of innovations to hit Raleigh and other cities is the Bird electric scooter.

Bird electric scooters are one many new brands of cheap, rentable and accessible light vehicles designed to give riders a new, efficient mode of transportation besides just cars or public transit. Bloomberg reported that a recent venture round would place the startup company at a value of around $1 billion.

That’s why when a new wave of Bird scooters hit Raleigh streets last month, there was reasonable excitement over the newest affordable way to travel around town. However, along with that excitement came a bump in the road. A lack of communication arose between Bird and Raleigh officials, according to city officials, and now the fates of the electric scooters are up in the air.

I won’t pretend that Bird didn’t make any missteps. Raleigh Director of Transportation Michael Moore told WTVD that the electric scooters just suddenly appeared on the streets without prior warning. Thus, it’s understandable why the Raleigh government would be wary of how to approach this situation.

However, whatever the council’s ultimate decision on the electric scooters are, they shouldn’t hinder this prospering new trend. Some council members, such as Dickie Thompson, called for a temporary ban on Bird’s flagship product until the council can decide a concrete set of rules and regulations for their usage. The negative impact that this could have on the scooters’ usage might throttle the momentum for this new and efficient transit trend. For the moment, the scooters are safe from any bans, but that could change.

First of all, a temporary ban on the electric scooters could send negative vibes to both Bird and similar startup companies that may be interested in investing in Raleigh. As a key location in the Research Triangle and as a city that constantly pushes for itself an image of cutting-edge technology and industry, we should aim to be more accepting and ready to integrate with new industries and trends. While some may call this “go with the flow” approach risky, it’s the kind of risk that puts Raleigh above its neighboring competition.

Additionally, as I previously mentioned, the litany of positive benefits that this new trend of Bird scooters, LimeBikes and other similar vehicles could bring to the area are too exciting to wait and see how long it will take for those regulations to come out of council chambers.

The country is already experiencing a wave of small, new, rentable vehicles for public transit. Our campus is flooded with LimeBikes, and besides the occasional one ending up in a bush or some other various location, they’ve become integrated rather well. The same goes for the scooters. They’ve become an addition to dozens of cities across the U.S., and are now seeking to export their products overseas, such as to France and Israel. They’ve become quite popular, and Raleigh shouldn’t be left out of that.

Maggie Trumpower, a first-year student studying art and design, believes that rentable vehicles bring an overall positive impact to the areas they come, as they make transit easier for users. Similarly, Maxwell Harkness, a second-year student studying computer science, has had a positive experience with the similar Lime electric scooter, citing their convenience, and ability to allow students to leave their bikes at home due to their accessibility.

Both sides can be criticized in this argument. Bird absolutely should have established more effective communication with city officials before their massive implementation into the city. Because of this sudden surge, the local government’s natural response would be to place heavier restrictions on these vehicles, but the council should think strategically about this. These scooters could be another positive innovation for the city of Raleigh’s traffic, environment and unique culture, and any plans made towards these Bird scooters shouldn’t hinder the prosperity of Raleigh.