Paris votes on whether to ban electric rental scooters

Parisians have voted on whether to ban electric rental scooters from the city’s streets. The vote was held following a chaotic introduction of the app-based vehicles in 2018, with city authorities having since imposed tighter regulations, including restricted top speeds, designated parking zones, and limits on the number of operators.

Very expensive and cause a lot of accidents

Many residents complain about reckless driving, while fatal accidents involving rental scooters have highlighted safety concerns. Mayor Anne Hidalgo is in favor of a ban, describing the vehicles as “very expensive” and the cause of “a lot of accidents.”

While the consultation will not affect privately owned electric scooters, a ban could represent a significant setback for rental operators such as Lime, Dott, and Tier, and may encourage other cities to follow suit. Although the rental scooters were initially welcomed as an emissions-free alternative to cars and motorbikes, there are now doubts over their environmental record, given that most replace journeys that would previously have been made on foot or by public transport. reported.