Paris bans electric scooter rentals

6.7% of the Parisians registered in the electoral lists have already spoken. 90% of voters are in favor. In Paris, they decided to ban the use of existing rental electric scooters in the city.. The referendum held in the French capital celebrates before and after the use of these vehicles. It thus becomes the first metropolitan area to veto them.

Lime, one of the largest electric scooter service operators, You’ll have until September to leave the city, the month in which your contract expires. The same applies to Dott, which announced that after “our permits expire on September 1st”, the service will be permanently terminated in Paris.

From my side, the latter expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the decision for voters and for the city of Paris. “We recognize the outcome of this unprecedented referendum, which has been heavily influenced by very restrictive voting practices,” they comment in a press release. “This resulted in an extremely low turnout, heavily skewed towards older age groups, widening the gap between pluses and minuses.”

We regret that Parisians will lose their shared and environmentally friendly transport. This is a step back for sustainable transport in Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympics.

Dott

Certainly, this solution is limited to renting electric scooters. Those citizens who own it will be able to continue to use it to move around Paris, always following the recommendations and rules for its use.

The electric scooter is becoming one of the most controversial vehicles, and Paris has already made up its mind.

From the moment he arrived, electric scooters have become one of the most controversial modes of transportation of all. In 2021, the city of Paris recorded up to 459 related accidents, with 24 deaths. While not an alarming number, it clearly shows that the vehicle is in need of better management by mobility organizations.

Five years ago, there were five companies in Paris that rented out electric scooters. Shortly thereafter, and after complaints from many users, this number was reduced to three, just like in Madrid. During this time, the maximum speed of these machines was limited to 24 km / h., as well as the integration of license plates. With the help of the latter, it was assumed that it would be possible to identify those people who ignored the rules of the road in the city.

They are fueling the anxiety… there have been many complaints from people telling us that they can’t take it anymore, that they are going too fast, that the cyclists are being impolite.

David Belliard, deputy mayor of Paris for transport and member of the Green Party.

Unfortunately, it seems like there is still a long way to go with this type of vehicle. The decision of citizens is nothing but a reflection of weak control authorities about these new technologies. After all, walking in big cities has become an ordeal, whether it be cars or people on electric scooters who walk the sidewalks without thinking.