In an effort to curb the onslaught of electric scooters, Santa Monica, California, is moving to limit the number of companies that can operate dockless vehicles there. An internal memo reveals that a City Council committee endorsed Lyft and Uber for permits — handing a crushing defeat for dedicated scooter operators Bird and Lime. Santa Monica was the ground zero for electric scooters, because $2 billion startup Bird rolled out the first scooter-share program nationwide in the coastal city last fall.