Lime’s e-scooter to be up for rent in Paris in March 2023 – Photo: Bloomberg
Despite last-minute changes expected, Lime, Dot and Tier, the three companies licensed to operate e-scooters in Paris, have confirmed that they will work to remove e-scooters from Paris streets before May 1-9. Will complete deadline. These three companies together operate around 15,000 e-scooters in the city.
Earlier, in April, the Paris government held a referendum with two options: for or against the e-scooter. As a result, 90% of people voted against this type of vehicle.
However, there has been no change in the rules governing privately owned e-scooters. The above companies said that only 7% of the people were eligible to participate in the referendum.
At present, the use of e-scooters is still a controversial issue in many cities. Users can unlock the vehicle through an app and pay for rental by the minute.
Proponents believe it is the vehicle of the future. Opponents worry that the vehicle will create a lot of trouble in public places.
In other French cities, such as Marseille and Lyon, e-scooter rental services continue to operate.
Many cities have imposed restrictions on this type of vehicle, such as speed limits and charging users parking fees through tickets. Some places only allow this vehicle to drive on sidewalks or bike lanes.
However, outright bans are rarely enforced in cities that once welcomed the vehicle.
In Europe, in 2023, the city of Maldrid also reversed a previous ban, allowing e-scooter rental companies to start services with new conditions, following a similar decision by the city of Copenhagen in 2021.
In popular cycling locations such as the Netherlands, most e-scooters are banned from public roads, and no e-scooter rental companies have entered this market.
Many popular tourist destinations such as New Orleans and Las Vegas (USA) have also banned e-scooter rental services, but the service is still accepted in 158 other US cities.
Following the ban, companies such as Lime, Dot and Tier have said they will focus on developing e-bike services in Paris after rolling out scooters elsewhere.
Although electric bicycles are also controversial due to their high speeds, they are still allowed on pavements. Along with this, lack of suitable parking spaces is leading to encroachment on footpaths and roads, while users are not required to wear helmets.
Reducing the number of cars and promoting Paris as an ideal city for bicycles is one of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s top priorities. In 2022, he announced plans to ban most cars in downtown areas of the city to make way for pedestrians, bicycles, public transport and some private licensed cars.
Since then, some areas have been converted into “pedestrian streets” such as the large squares on both sides of the Seine, giving preference to bicycles while cars are prohibited from entering the area of the central business district. Center Rue de Rivoli.
(tagstotranslate)electric scooter
