Parisians have voted to ban e-scooter sharing services in the French capital, according to a referendum held on April 2, 2023. French media outlets report that nearly 90% of voters were in favor of the ban, which is scheduled to come into effect in September 2023. The ban is an unusual move by the socialist Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who let residents decide the fate of e-scooters in the City of Light. However, critics claim that the decision puts jobs at risk and reflects the opinion of a small minority of Paris residents.
The turnout for the referendum was low, with only about 100,000 people voting, representing less than 8% of registered voters. Some critics point out that the early registration cut-off, a small number of voting stations, and no electronic voting contributed to the low turnout. French newspaper Le Figaro reported that the ban will affect approximately 400,000 e-scooter users each month, and the sector employs approximately 800 people.
The three main e-scooter operators in Paris, Lime, TIER, and Dott, 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 have drawn the ire of Parisians who have to walk around or over them on their way to and from work. Complaints from residents prompted the French government to announce new regulations in March 2023 aimed at reducing clutter and accidents.
Some locals highlighted the merits of these so-called last-mile vehicles. They are particularly useful for women, allowing them to get home late at night without taking the subway, and they are cheaper than a taxi. However, others expressed concern about the dangers of e-scooters and the piles of them on every street corner.
The main e-scooter operators in Paris plan to abide by the law and shutter their operations in September. TIER has voiced its disappointment, stating that moving away from shared e-scooters also means that Paris is isolating itself from the rest of the world with major capitals like Washington, Madrid, Rome, London, Berlin, or Vienna that are all implementing policies supporting e-scooters as ways to reduce unnecessary car usage.
Sources: Le Figaro, The Financial Times
