DParis residents have voted by a large majority to ban e-scooter rentals in the city. In a citizen survey on Sunday, 89 percent were in favor of abolishing rental scooters. Eleven percent voted to keep the scooters in the French capital, as the city administration announced in the evening. However, only 7.46 percent of the approximately 1.3 million residents registered in the voter lists took part in the vote. Irrespective of this, Paris considers the outcome of the citizen survey to be binding.
“The citizens have spoken out clearly against the e-scooters,” said Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Sunday evening in the town hall. “From September 1st there will be no more rental scooters in Paris. This is a victory for local democracy.” Despite the weak response the survey found in the city, the mayor said it was impressive that around 100,000 residents turned out to vote.
Currently 15,000 e-scooters for hire
Hidalgo, who initiated the survey, made no secret of the fact that she would rather see the scooters banned from the city. In any case, the use of private e-scooters should not be restricted.
Three rental companies offer around 15,000 e-scooters in Paris, with which tourists and locals are often quite careless. There have always been accidents and chaos on the sidewalks and calls for a ban. The license for the landlords expires at the end of August.
Providers should not accept the end of e-scooters in the metropolis of Paris without resistance. You had already expressed concern that there would also be bans elsewhere.