Parisians vote to ban electric scooter sharing in the French capital

Parisians voted to end e-scooter-sharing services operated by companies like Lime in the French capital. The ban is scheduled to come into effect in September 2023, but critics claim that the decision puts jobs at risks and reflects the opinion of a small minority of Paris residents.

In an unusual move, the socialist Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo let residents decide the fate of e-scooters in the City of Light. She organized a referendum on April 2, 2023, and French media outlets report that nearly 90% of voters were in favor of the ban. That's an impressive statistic, but some quickly point out that only about 100,000 people voted; French newspaper Le Figaro notes that figure represents less than 8% of registered voters. The list of alleged problems also includes an early registration cut-off, a small number of voting stations, and no electronic voting, according to The Financial Times. Hidalgo said that "more than 100,000 voters is very positive and encouraging."

Lime, TIER, and Dott are the three main e-scooter operators in Paris, and they collectively oversee a fleet of approximately 15,000 two-wheelers. While e-scooters can make getting around a big, crowded city relatively simple and cheap, they've drawn the ire of Parisians who have to walk around or over them on their way to and from work. Their complaints reached the French government, who in March 2023 announced a last-minute round of regulations written in a bid to reduce clutter and accidents. The minimum age to ride an e-scooter in France increased from 12 to 14, turn signals and brake lights became mandatory, and the fine for breaking a traffic law increased from 35 to 135 euros (approximately $38 and $147, respectively). These measures weren't enough to give e-scooters a new lease on life in Paris.