Paris Bans Rental Electric Scooters After Referendum Vote

Paris residents have voted in favor of banning rental electric scooters from the city, with almost 90% of those who turned out for a referendum organized by the Paris mayor’s office voting for the ban. The ban will come into force at the end of August, when the city’s scooter operators’ contracts expire. Private owners of e-scooters won’t be affected. The move is part of Paris' campaign to reduce the city’s dependence on private cars and boost the appeal of other modes of travel. The French academy of medicine has described e-scooters as a “true public health problem,” and highlighted that “electric scooter-related accidents are associated with a significant number of serious injuries.”