Paris may soon say goodbye to public electric scooters. According to reports from The Parisianthe contracts of the three operators Lime, Dott and Tier will expire at the beginning of 2023 and the mayor of the French capital, Anne Hidalgo, has an appointment with the companies on Thursday 29 September to reflect on what to do.
The considerations on the dangerousness of using the vehicle in the middle of the city, also following the recent drama that took place in Lyon, where at the end of August two teenagers driving a scooter were mowed down by an ambulance and died, and those on its scarce ecological footprint have questioned the renewal of concessions.
According to Lime’s estimates, scooters have never been so popular in the city of lights, with thirty million users gained in three years. And in Paris the rules are more stringent than in other cities; in fact, minors can only use it from 12 years of age and it is recommended in any case to wear a helmet, gloves and a reflective jacket at night.
But it is also true that in France in 2021 24 people died on the «trottinettes»; Added to this figure is an increase in injuries equal to 177% since 2019. The first city that has decided on severe measures to combat accidents is Lyon, which has banned the use of electric scooters for minors under the age of 18.