The people of Paris voted overwhelmingly to ban the use of electric skates on the streets of the French capital. The 15,000 electric vehicles that have divided public opinion are expected to disappear from the center of Paris at the end of August, when the city’s contracts with three operators expire.

The question posed by the mayor’s office in a mini-referendum on Sunday was: “For or against scooter service in Paris?”.

City Hall said just over 103,000 people voted, of which 89% rejected e-skates and only 11% supported them.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo called the referendum a success and said the outcome was “very clear”. “From September 1, there will be no more electric skates in Paris,” he said.

However, participation was very low. Voting was open to all 1.38 million registered voters in Paris.

Scattered throughout Paris, easy to find and rent with a downloadable app, and relatively cheap, scooters are a hit with tourists who love their speed and the freedom they offer.

“It was a very contentious issue,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said when she announced the referendum in January. “Personally, I think we should stop this.” Hidalgo highlighted the use of public space by private operators and user safety as one of the most pressing issues as new mobility options become more popular.

On the other hand, critics of the referendum expressed concern about the low turnout, as the scooter issue was the only question on the ballot, and only one polling station was open in every municipality but one. In addition, this referendum did not allow voting by mail.

tougher rules

After Paris announced the referendum, the central government also announced that it would seek to tighten rules on shared scooters. Transport Minister Clement Bonn said the proposed action plan would include setting a minimum user age of 14 or 16 and requiring management companies to assign registration numbers to every vehicle.

Companies operating in the French capital – Lime, Dott and Tier – said they supported the ruling and noted that some of Bonn’s proposals, including license plates and age verification, are already in place in Paris.

It is noted that the operators introduced the measures at the end of last year, as they were faced with the possibility that the city would not renew contracts.

Source: Associated Press.