Hidalgo Takes Down the Electric Scooters!

Despite very low participation, the vote on whether to keep shared-electric scooters in Paris went against them.

Ah, shared-electric scooters! This marks the end of a long saga that has kept Parisians on the edge of their seats for many weeks. In January, during an interview with our colleagues at Le Parisien, the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo expressed her concerns about shared-electric scooters. “My idea is to stop. But I will respect the vote of Parisians, even if it is contrary to what I would like.” she stated at the time. The reason for this rejection is the very high number of complaints from Parisians due to careless users who hardly respect traffic laws. Not to mention the use of scooters by two people (which is strictly prohibited), as well as parking issues with equipment sometimes abandoned haphazardly, and the precarious working conditions for employees of the three operators present in Paris: Dott, Tier, and Lime.

During the vote held in Paris on Sunday, April 2nd, only 7.46% of the 1.3 million registered voters participated. But the vote was overwhelmingly against the continuation of shared-electric scooters, with 89.03% voting “no”! The contracts of the three operators, which expire on August 31, 2023, will therefore not be renewed, and there should no longer be a single scooter on the streets starting September 1. Private scooters are of course not affected by this decision.

Supporters of “No” have mobilized

“I want to warmly thank all Parisians who participated by going to the polls throughout the day. Thanks to their mobilization, this first vote is a great democratic success for our city, and I am pleased about it. Once again, Paris is innovating. I also want to commend all municipal staff who ensured the smooth conduct of the operations in the 203 polling stations, as well as the members of the control commission. This evening, Parisians who expressed their voice have overwhelmingly spoken against shared-electric scooters. Their very clear message is now our roadmap. With my team, we will implement their decision as I committed,” declared Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, following the announcement of the results.

For some Parisians, the fight is not over. Some are already thinking of pressing authorities to consider questions about shared bicycles. The debate is likely to be even more heated this time!

Read also: Shared electric scooters and bicycles: the ten commandments for city integration