E-scooter firms pledge to continue UK operations despite Paris ban vote

E-scooter rental companies have pledged to continue their UK operations as people in Paris voted to banish the vehicles.

Dott and Tier said their e-scooters will remain available for use on this side of the Channel and questioned the validity of the mini-referendum in the French capital.

Around 15,000 e-scooters could be removed from central Paris at the end of August when the city’s contracts with providers Dott, Lime and Tier expire.

Paris’ City Hall website stated that 89% of votes were against the use of e-scooters.

The poll was open to all of the capital’s 1.4 million registered voters but turnout was very low, with around 103,000 people voting.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said the voters’ “very clear message now becomes our guide” and committed to “follow up on their decision as I had pledged”.

Since rental e-scooters were introduced five years ago, many Parisians have used them as an alternative form of public transport.

But there are frequent complaints about how they are used and the visual impact of parked e-scooters.

A spokesman for Dott told the PA news agency said: “There is no impact to our services in London and other major European cities, where there is a trend of increasing sustainable travel.

“We will continue to offer e-bikes in Paris and plan to expand our fleet to meet anticipated demand from the 400,000 users of shared e-scooters that will need to find alternative transport.”

Tier said in a statement: “While the decision in Paris is disappointing for the sector and hundreds of thousands of people who rely on the service, Tier is committed to continuing to run safe and highly-utilised shared e-scooter services across the UK.

“We have strong relationships with local authorities and the police, and are co-operating with the Government as they collect information during this trial period.

“We continue to develop new solutions to make our service accessible and sustainable, supporting the UK’s net-zero targets and ensuring users and the wider public have a positive experience.”

Private e-scooters cannot be legally ridden on roads or pavements in the UK but have become a common sight.

The Government has not introduced legislation setting out regulations allowing their use.

Trials of rental e-scooters on roads in dozens of towns and cities across England have been extended until May 2024.

Martin Usher, partner in personal injury at law firm Lime Solicitors, said: “The relationship between e-scooters and other road users has deteriorated badly in Paris because of a lack of regulation and education.

“Pedestrians have been put at risk and Parisians have now taken a strong stance against the rental schemes.

“This should be a wake-up call to our Government, which is burying its head in the sand over new forms of transport and we must act now to avoid a similar result.

“Despite their environmental benefits, the ongoing failure to act is sadly leaving people vulnerable to preventable injuries.

“We need proper education campaigns around safe e-scooter use and a comprehensive legislation framework to protect users and pedestrians, and allow the schemes to grow safely.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Safety will always be our top priority, and our e-scooter trials are designed to explore the best ways of protecting riders, pedestrians and vulnerable road users, while exploring their benefits.

“Outside the trials, e-scooters remain illegal to use on the road.”