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E-scooter businesses will need to get permits for Dunedin streets if a new bylaw gets the green light.

Dunedin City Council community services general manager Simon Pickford said people raised safety concerns with the council when a commercial e-scooter scheme began trading in Dunedin.

Lime Scooters started operations in the city in January last year.

''While there is a memorandum of understanding in place for this business, we began reviewing the bylaw to cover this type of commercial activity to address public safety concerns and have clear requirements for the future,'' Mr Pickford said.

Under the proposed Trading in Public Places Bylaw, businesses such as e-scooter or bike rentals would require a permit and need to comply with conditions.

The proposed bylaw also covers street performers such as buskers, fundraisers, footpath artists and other commercial users of footpaths, but would not mean a lot of change for most of these traders, he said.

“Buskers, street fundraisers and footpath artists don’t pay a fee now and that wouldn’t change. They already need to have a permit or permission and we’d look to have a simple way for them to get permits.”

There are no changes proposed to rules and conditions for mobile trading and temporary stall sites. This would be reviewed separately at a later date.

The bylaw also puts forward two options to support a smokefree Dunedin - a discount for licensed premises with smokefree outdoor areas or making smokefree outdoor areas a requirement for commercial use of footpath permits.

• People can have their say until 5pm on Monday, August 3, via dunedin.govt.nz/consultation or at DCC customer service centres and libraries.