Paris says NON to e-scooters: French capital becomes first city in the world to ban self-hire vehicles in a referendum after string of crashes and deaths across Europe
- The French capital rejected the controversial scooters by a 90 per cent majority
- It comes after a number of crashes involving the vehicles in recent years
Paris has become the first city in the world to vote to ban self-hire electric scooters after a series of fatal crashes across Europe.
In a move likely to be studies with huge interest in the UK, the French capital rejected the controversial scooters by a 90 per cent majority in a referendum on Sunday.
It comes after a number of crashes involving the vehicles in recent years, with Paris and other European cities including London also complaining about dumping.
In 2019, a rider was hit by a van and killed, becoming the first e-scooter fatality in Paris.
There are currently around 15,000 e-scooters in Paris that can be picked up using a mobile app and then left anywhere, including in the River Seine.
In a move likely to be studies with huge interest in the UK, the French capital rejected the controversial scooters by a 90 per cent majority
Following widespread opposition, City Hall organised the poll asking the question: ‘Do we or don’t we continue with free-floating rental scooters?’
But shortly after 10pm on Sunday, a Ville de Paris spokesman confirmed ‘the no vote won with 90 per cent of the vote’.
Three companies – Lime, Tier and Dott – currently run the scooter service in Paris, but they will now have to cease business.
They had advertised the vehicles as an effective, non-polluting alternative to public transport for getting around the French capital.
According to a study commissioned by City Hall in May, 71 per cent of regular users of the scooters are under the age of 35 and nearly a third are students.
Few bothered with helmets or insurance, and many of the accidents they were involved in went unreported.
The scooters’ maximum speed was reduced to about 12mph and specific parking spaces were created.
Paris also introduced a equivalent to around £110 for riders who used pavements, or who illegally carried a passenger.
Tier and Lime electric scooters are parked on the pavement in Paris last week shortly before the referendum
Despite this, in 2022 police reported more than 400 accidents, with 459 people badly injured.
This was in a year when Paris recorded about 20 million trips on the scooters – making it one of the largest markets in the world.
Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, said she favoured a ban, but wanted the people of the city to decide.
E-scooter hire company Lime had even offered 10-minute free rides to clients who registered to vote in the referendum.
This led to Deputy Mayor David Belliard accusing Lime of trying to ‘buy voters, which is frankly not nice.’
In turn, Lime replied that it was not a political vote, and so not subject to normal election rules.
Despite a very low turnout on Sunday – less than 5% cast a vote – the result is now binding.
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