Lime and Dott electric scooters are parked on the sidewalk on March 29, 2023 in Paris, France.
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Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo pledged to ban e-scooters from being rented in the French capital after a majority of the population supported the move.
In a non-binding referendum held on Sunday, 89.03% out of 103,084 votes The cast said they oppose stand-alone scooters, which are booked on a short-term basis through apps, from the city. There are only two choices, “for” or “against”.
“Their very clear message has now become our roadmap,” Hidalgo said in a statement after the vote. speak in a press conference that scooters will cease operations from September 1, when current agreements with operators expire.
The e-scooter debuted in Paris in 2018, but by 2020 the number of companies with licenses to operate has dropped to just three: Lime, Dott and Tier.
It also adds conditions like a 20 km per hour speed limit and designated scooter parking areas. Customers who leave scooters outside these areas will be fined.
Critics of scooters say they clutter sidewalks and roads, but also raise safety concerns. There were 459 accidents involving e-scooters or similar vehicles in Paris last year, including three deaths, as reported by Reuters.
Cities around the world are debating how to regulate or restrict both rented and owned e-scooters, which are popular among tourists and some commuters but are disowned by many locals. considered a nuisance.
In London, the scooter-hailing service is in a trial run until this fall, alongside Lime, Dott and Tier. Then, “operators will be selected based on their ability to meet stringent safety requirements and high operating standards,” according to the local government.
Berlin-based Tier Mobility said it was “disappointed” with the Paris referendum result.
“With approximately 93 percent of citizens not voting, the majority of Parisians have demonstrated that e-scooters are not an issue,” the company said in a statement provided to CNBC.
“Away from shared electric scooters also means that Paris is isolating itself from the rest of the world with major capitals like Washington, Madrid, Rome, London, Berlin or Vienna all doing their own thing. policies to support e-motorcycles as a way to reduce unnecessary car use.”
It added that it remains open to working with authorities on the regulatory framework surrounding e-scooters.
Dott and Lime did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
