In a move that has thrilled pedestrians and traumatized tech startups, Paris has officially banned rental e-scooters from its streets. Yes, after years of silent gliding, sudden crashes, and tourists treating them like jousting tools, the French capital said au revoir to its fleet of 15,000 shared scooters.
The ban follows a citywide referendum held in 2023, where nearly 90% of those who voted supported the ban. Of course, the catch: only about 7% of eligible voters showed up. Still, it was enough for Mayor Anne Hidalgo to pull the plug and now, scooters have disappeared from Paris like a baguette at breakfast.
đź›´ Why the revolt?
Rental e-scooters first appeared in Paris in 2018, promoted as an eco-friendly, efficient alternative to cars. But it didn’t take long before the city’s romance turned sour:
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Scooters were abandoned in fountains, stuffed in bushes, and often riding solo into the Seine like depressed cyborgs.
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Pedestrians found themselves dodging rogue riders like extras in a low-budget action film.
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And the scooter brands Tier, Lime, and Dott were regularly fined for improper parking, poor maintenance, and general chaos.
Parisians started calling the devices “two-wheeled insults.” One resident said she hadn’t been hit by anything in 30 years until a tourist on a scooter ran into her “twice in one week.”
🏙️ What happens now?
With the ban in effect, the city has reclaimed sidewalks and bike lanes. Streets are quieter, cleaner, and marginally less terrifying. But not everyone’s cheering.
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Young commuters, who relied on scooters for that precious 5-minute morning shortcut, are back on foot or crammed into the MĂ©tro.
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Tourists have lost their favorite lazy sightseeing hack.
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Influencers, especially TikTok creators, are scrambling to replace their scooter-panning Eiffel Tower shots with something equally effortless.
The companies? They’re quietly shipping thousands of scooters to other cities Rome, Berlin, and Madrid, where e-scooter drama is still considered fresh.
🚶‍♀️ Paris: Where Walking is Political Again
For Mayor Hidalgo, the move fits her broader urban strategy: reducing car traffic, expanding bike lanes, and prioritizing “human-scale mobility.” And while critics say it’s regressive, the city maintains this is about safety, sustainability, and dignity for pedestrians.
Still, it raises a bigger question:
What happens when tech collides with tradition?
In Paris, at least, the answer is clear: you get off and walk.
The scooters came with promises of urban freedom and modern transport. Instead, they left skid marks, bruised knees, and a trail of lawsuits.
The future didn’t crash it just got parked sideways on a sidewalk in Montmartre.
