Lyft the latest company to join Atlanta's e-scooter wars

Lyft becomes the fourth company to launch electric scooters in Atlanta.

Lyft becomes the fourth company to launch electric scooters in Atlanta.

Atlanta’s electric scooter wars heated up for the second time this week as ride-hailing firm Lyft announced it’s joining the fray.

The company will deploy dockless electric scooters across Atlanta today – just two days after rival Uber began its own scooter service in Atlanta. Bird and Lime launched their scooter services here earlier this year.

Lyft scooters cost $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute to ride. The scooter service will be built into the company’s existing app, which will allow customers to reserve scooters ahead of time.

“Lyft is committed to a future with cities built around people instead of cars, and the integration of scooters helps to further this movement,” Atlanta Operations Manager Vlad Baskakov said in announcing the move.

Hundreds of scooters have appeared in Atlanta in recent months. Supporters say they're an easy way to make short trips. Critics say they're a safety hazard.

The Atlanta City Council is expected to consider safety, speed and other regulations for scooters early next year. Decatur is considering a ban on the devices.