Parisians vote on ban for rental e-scooters following spate of fatal accidents
- The French capital once welcomed them as an emissions-free alternative to cars and motorbikes, until the dangers became apparent
- About 100,000 journeys on scooters are completed each day in 200 towns and cities across France, and they can be hired by 12-year-olds
Residents of Paris voted Sunday on whether to banish for-hire electric scooters from the streets of the French capital, which was a pioneer in adopting the divisive new form of urban transport.
City authorities once welcomed operators of app-based rental scooters with open arms, seeing them as an emissions-free alternative to cars and motorbikes.
But after a chaotic introduction in 2018, city hall has progressively tightened regulations, creating designated parking zones, limiting the top speed and restricting the number of operators.
Their presence remains controversial, with pedestrians complaining about reckless driving while a spate of fatal accidents has highlighted the dangers of vehicles that can currently be hired by children as young as 12.
“They’re dangerous, both for those who use them and for pedestrians”, Francoise Granier, a 68-year-old doctor who voted in the 9th district of the capital, said on Sunday. “And the police never intervene”.
Like her, IT worker Michael Dahan, 50, deplored the state of the capital’s streets, saying: “If it was better regulated, I wouldn’t be against … but you see people behaving in a crazy way.”