April 2023 officially marked the end of self-service electric scooters in Paris. Two years after their ban, free-floating machines are making a comeback in the capital… Why and how? We take a look.
For oragainst the end of self-service electric scooters in Paris? In 2023, Parisians have decided
It was on a Sunday in April 2023 that Parisians decided on the future of self-service electric scooters in inner-city Paris. In a referendum, Parisians voted against scooters, much to the dismay of soft mobility operators such as Dott and Lime. A few months later, in August 2023, the 5,000 or so electric scooters in service in the city literally disappeared from public spaces. And it has to be said, Parisians had been rather unanimous. 91,385 citizens voted “against” keeping self-service scooters in Paris, i.e. 89.03% of the votes cast. Meanwhile, 11,256 voters were “for”, accounting for 10.97% of the vote.
And if the famous machines were in the hot seat, it was because of their dangerous nature. In France, the number of injuries has been rising steadily in recent years. Faced with such overwhelming figures, many French towns and cities were forced to take action, first banning the use of self-service electric scooters by minors. But that wasn’t enough. The rest is history.
5000 self-service scooters make a comeback in April in the capital
But in April 2025, a 360° turnaround for free-floating machines! Self-service electric scooters will be making a comeback in Paris. And on this occasion, anything goes. Literally, Parisians will be able to “freewheel” and even ride on the sidewalks. A total of 5,000 new scooters will be put back into service this Tuesday, April 1! Did you believe us all the way? You may have guessed it, but this is an APRIL FISH 🐟. Given how dangerous they are, it seems highly unlikely that self-service electric scooters will ever make a comeback. And that’s just as well!