France wants to ban electric scooters from pavements in September according to the transport minister said.
An estimated 15,000 scooters operated by several companies have flooded Paris since their introduction in 2018, a number projected to increase to 40,000 by the end of this year.
Elisabeth Borne informed the Le Parisien daily in statements published Saturday that anyone riding an e-scooter, monowheel, personal transporter or hoverboard on the pavement would be charged 135 euros ($151) as fine from September.
Instead, they will have to make use of the street or dedicated cycling paths, “so pedestrians are no longer squeezed against walls”, the minister stated.
The development of the highly popular personal transport vehicles “happened very fast and in a bit of an anarchic way”, Borne stated.
Riders are still going to be allowed to push them on the pavement, so long as the engine is turned off.
Scooter rental services, from companies such as US-based Lime and Bird — and most recently ride-hailing giant Uber — have proved highly popular in many cities.
The French move comes after a decision by Peru to ban motorized scooters from pavements and pedestrian locations recently.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had already announced previous month that measures to protect pedestrians from e-scooters, “especially older people and children” would be taken.
Hidalgo said parking in such a way as to block traffic or pedestrians will mean a 35-euro fine — but the Paris city council has vowed to build parking spots for 2,500 scooters.
Berlin’s city hall has also drawn up tough new regulations for e-scooters, where as Spanish tourist hotspot Barcelona has prohibited scooter rental services entirely.
Over 1,500 people have been treated for injuries from the use of battery-powered electric scooters in the United States since the craze started in late 2017, a Consumer Reports survey revealed in February.
