Starting September 1, Paris will suspend the rental of electric scooters. This move comes from the city administration and was reported by RTBF, the Belgian broadcaster. The decision marks a clear shift in how Paris handles micro-mobility and reflects a broader conversation about safety, urban space, and pedestrian priorities in dense city centers.
City authorities decided not to renew the contracts with the three private operators responsible for running the electric scooter rental networks. As a result, Paris becomes the first major European capital to implement a ban on the use of electric scooters within limited areas and during specific hours, signaling a turning point in the management of shared mobility services across the continent.
The ban follows a public referendum held in the city to gauge residents’ views on electric scooters. More than 100,000 Parisians participated in the vote, and an overwhelming 89 percent supported halting the scooter program. The referendum outcome provided a mandate for policymakers to reassess the role of micro-mobility in urban transport, weighing concerns about safety, sidewalk congestion, and the effectiveness of current regulatory frameworks against the benefits of quick, emissions-free travel.
Back in 2022, electric scooters in Paris logged approximately 400,000 rides, underscoring the popularity of this mode of urban transport at that time. The data highlighted the significant demand for flexible, on-demand mobility options among residents and visitors, even as safety incidents and public concerns began to mount. The new policy does not erase the city’s interest in alternative transport options entirely; instead, it signals a shift toward rethinking how such options can be integrated with other modes of travel, with stricter rules and safer infrastructure in mind.
In related coverage, a separate incident was reported in Moscow where a teenager on an electric scooter collided with a Tesla vehicle near Patriarshie Ponds and subsequently disappeared from the scene. This report reflects continuing global attention to the safety implications of shared electric mobility and the varied regulatory responses adopted by different cities around the world. While the contexts differ, the underlying theme remains the same: public safety, orderly streets, and clear rules shape how and where electric scooters can operate within urban environments.