Electric scooter rental - should it be banned or regulated?
photo: Vlad B
Paris
In April 2023, in a local referendum, 90% of Paris citizens voted to ban e-scooters. However, the attandance was very low and amounted to about 8%.
On September 1st, 2023, this decision became valid and about 15,000 rental electric scooters disappeared from the streets of the French capital.
Paris became the first European capital to make such a decision. The ban applies only to electric scooter rental systems and does not apply to private ones.
In general, the reason for this decision was the increase in the number of accidents involving rental e-scooters with injuries and even deaths. Only in 2022, 459 people were injured and three died in such accidents on the streets of Paris.
Other cities and countries have also gradually begun to adopt Paris' experience. In particular, the Norwegian capital Oslo has banned the operation of car rental services at night to reduce accidents.
However, there are other examples in Europe that show that scooter rental does not have to be banned completely.
Stockholm
In September 2022, new rules for e-scooter rental services came into force in the Swedish capital. In particular, their speed was limited to 20 km/h and the maximum number of scooters in the city. They also regulated parking and introduced zones where they are not allowed to ride.
The number of electric scooters for hire on the streets of Stockholm reached its historic high in the summer of 2021, with 21,000 units. But later, the transport authority imposed a limit of 1,500 scooters per operator, and now the total number is limited to 12,000 units.
The parking situation is controlled by software. For example, a ride cannot be completed without confirmation that the scooter is parked without violations. The city has 700 specially marked parking zones for rental electric scooters, which are allowed to be parked either in them or next to city bicycle racks. It is forbidden to leave scooters outside these zones. This prohibition is particularly strictly enforced on footpaths and in places where it could pose a danger to pedestrians or drivers. In addition, certain large areas have been designated where it is prohibited to leave rental scooters. In particular, these include the historic city centre (Gamla Stan) and some parks where there are no special parking areas.
Licences for scooter rental services are issued by the police. They also monitor violations and can revoke the licence if there are too many violations.
All the steps taken have significantly streamlined the operation of scooter rental services and, according to local residents, the situation has improved significantly since then.
Warsaw
A similar approach was introduced in November 2021 in the Polish capital. It includes the following elements:
- Parking is allowed only in specially designated and marked places, and in the absence of such places, on the sidewalk parallel to its outer edge. The mayor's office has created an extensive network of thousands of marked scooter parking zones throughout the city.
- The speed is limited by software to 20 km/h, and in some locations the limit is reduced to 12 km/h.
- Prohibited zones. Similar to bicycles, e-scooters are prohibited in some areas. For example, in the Old Town, the Royal Trails Park and the Krasinski Palace.
Berlin
The rules for using rental scooters in the German capital are similar to the previous examples. In particular, the maximum speed is limited to 20 km/h, it is allowed only on bike tracks and public streets and is prohibited on sidewalks and pedestrian areas. Wearing a helmet is not mandatory but recommended.
As for parking, there are no special parking zones. However, scooters are not allowed on carriageways or in the middle of sidewalks. There are also no-parking zones, including the pedestrian areas near the Holocaust Memorial and Parizer Platz. In addition, starting from 1st January 2023, the city authorities of Berlin allowed free parking of rental and private scooters and private bicycles in car parking spaces. One of the reasons for this decision was the result of a recent study, according to which Berlin residents encounter scooters on the sidewalks on average every 77 metres.
Lviv
Meanwhile, on October 10th, 2023, the executive committee of the Lviv City Council approved a Memorandum of Cooperation between the city and operators of electric scooter rental services in Lviv. According to which the speed of electric scooters is limited to 20 km/h on the streets and 15 km/h in parks and pedestrian areas.
The document also defines the places where e-scooters will be prohibited from parking and 79 zones for their morning start. These zones will be marked, and rental services will pay the city a rent for their use.
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Resources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66682673
https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/09/01/electric-scooters-what-are-the-rules-across-europe-and-where-are-injuries-highest#:~:text=Parisians%20voted%20overwhelmingly%20to%20ban,Netherlands%2C%20Norway%20or%20the%20UK.
https://cykla.stockholm/elsparkcyklar/
https://www.themayor.eu/en/a/view/warsaw-amends-e-scooter-rules-9463
https://www.berlin.de/en/getting-around/electric-scooter-sharing/