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Parisians voted to ban electric scooter rentals in April, but turnout was low
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- Author: Hugh Schofield
- Scrolling, from BBC News in Paris
8 hours ago
A ban on renting electric cars came into force in Paris in response to a significant increase in incidents involving deaths and injuries in the French capital.
Although around 90% of those who took part in the April vote supported the ban, it is important to emphasize that turnout was less than 8% of the electorate.
Paris, which was one of the pioneers in introducing these electric mobility innovations just five years ago, is now one of the first capitals to implement such a ban.
However, it is reasonable to question whether this measure merely reflects democratic will or whether other interests are at stake.
Not that I’m taking sides, but as a traditional cyclist, I can’t help but express my frustration at how electric “personal vehicles” like electric scooters have taken up the space we’ve long fought to create for cyclists.
We have advocated for four decades of building bike lanes, and now we see this new form of motorized transportation competing for space on public streets.
I also cannot ignore the situations that I have experienced frequently in recent years, especially as a parent of small children: electric scooters block sidewalks and require pedestrians to take evasive action.
A close friend had an accident and suffered a broken rib when he was hit by an electric scooter in Paris last year. Even now, months later, he still feels pain when he coughs.
Personally, I am not a fan of these devices. If I had the choice, they would never have been invented, and Paris today would be witnessing a similar scene to Amsterdam in the 70s, when people cycled through the streets with their own legs instead of pressing a button.
However, I am aware of the complexity of the situation. The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, belongs to the Socialist Party, an important political institution in which French presidents such as François Mitterrand and François Hollande have been involved.
However, in last year’s presidential election, when Hidalgo ran as a socialist candidate, she received only 1.75% of the nationwide vote, a disappointing result.
Anne Hidalgo, determined as ever, looked for a new reason to show her relevance and chose electric scooters as her target although she was responsible for introducing these vehicles to the streets of Paris in 2018.
At the beginning of the year she announced her strategic move: leaving the decision to the voters. Although she personally opposed the ban, she committed to following the will of the people, which seems to be a fair approach.
Therefore, the vote took place in April, without much attention and with a relatively low participation rate. As expected, older people, who usually vote and have an aversion to electric scooters, were present in large numbers.
Many young people who actually use these vehicles may have chosen not to vote.
Anne Hidalgo has achieved her victory and now the last rental scooters have been taken off the road. This caused disappointment among tourists and some local residents.
On the other hand, many, especially electric scooter dealers, are happy with this decision as private vehicles were not affected.
It almost feels like the moment a century ago when the last horse quietly left the city streets. However, it is important to highlight that horses have been replaced by the internal combustion engine, while there is still no clear replacement for electric scooters, which have been around for five years.
I have a feeling they might return at some point in the future.