E-scooter plague in Paris | Economy | '
It all started for Hugo RoĆ«ls on a late afternoon in late April. On that day, the 28-year-old market researcher left his job in the south of Paris when an American tourist suddenly hit his foot on a scooter, an electric scooter. The man did not stop, just turned around and shouted "Sorry!" and drove on. At that moment, RoĆ«ls decided to fight the electric rental scooters. "I thought back then, not much has happened to me, but for other people, such as the disabled or pregnant women, these scooters can be quite dangerous – and you can not just allow it," says RoĆ«ls to the ‘.
Hugo Roƫls has started a petition against the scooters
Indeed, French media are full of reports of injured pedestrians or even scooter drivers – even if official statistics do not exist. A scooter rider was recently killed after being hit by a truck. In April, an 81-year-old man died after a scooter rider knocked him over.
Parisian sidewalks are veritable hurdles
And it's easy to get into the Paris scooter crossfire. Within a year, the number has risen from zero to around 20,000 lending trottinettes, managed by a dozen different companies. By the end of this year, forecasts could double that number. Parisian sidewalks are sometimes a veritable obstacle course – with numerous parked or fallen troller scooters. These can be borrowed via smartphone applications. A half hour drive costs about five euros.
E-scooter in Paris – there are now 20,000 in total
Roƫls has therefore launched an online petition entitled "Let's Stop the Trottinette Invasion on Parisian Streets." Over 1,400 people have already signed. "The trottinettes are not only dangerous, they also last only three months, according to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, so they're anything but eco-friendly, creating a complete mess in the city," he says.
The city has limited options for action
The city of Paris is aware of the problem. But Christophe Najdovski, deputy mayor and transport representative, says the authorities are to some extent tied hands. "When the scooters arrived in the city last year, we were informed, but the companies did not have to ask us for permission, because this means of transport has not yet been regulated by law," he explains to ‘. Only in a few months would a mobility law create a legal framework for scooters.
Christophe Najdovski, Deputy Mayor of Paris
Nevertheless, the local government is trying to stem the chaos by punishing – based on general rules of road traffic. Driving on the sidewalk costs 135 euros to park the scooter where it bothers, 35 euros. For the latter fine the operators have to pay. From the first of July parking on the sidewalk should be completely prohibited. Instead, one should park the two-wheelers on motorcycle and bicycle parking lots. In addition, the city has created a – voluntary – charter with rules of conduct. According to this, for example, operators should ensure that the scooters are always in good condition and remind users of traffic regulations. And she recommends that companies reduce the speed from 25 to 20 km / h.
'The French always complain about new things'
The American company Lime, which first distributed its scooters on Parisian streets, has already signed this charter. It has also launched an advertising campaign to encourage users of scooters to drive responsibly. "Of course, the situation is a bit chaotic at the moment – after all, many scooters suddenly turned up in Paris," says Arthur-Louis Jacquier, managing director of the French Lime branch, to ‘. "Nevertheless, there is a clear interest in moving in this way, it is amusing, enjoyable and playful."
Carla Pinto also sees it that way. The 23-year-old student has only been riding the scooter through Paris for a week. "This is much more relaxed than driving the Metro – especially in good weather," she says to the ‘. "And the fact that people complain about it is normal – that's always the case in France with new things." Pinto drives on the sidewalk, but at most seven kilometers per hour, so as not to endanger pedestrians.
Simon GasmiƩ has been driving the rental scooters for six months
18-year-old Simon GasmiĆ© is faster on the road – 20 km / h on the road. He is not afraid of accidents. "Most of the time, there are the scooter riders who do not follow the traffic rules and, for example, drive in the wrong direction in a one-way street," he says to the ‘. Moreover, pedestrians should not complain about us – after all, they often run across the street without even looking right or left. "
An integral part of the Parisian cityscape?
Najdovski hopes that the situation between scooter riders and the rest of the Parisians will soon be relaxed. For this purpose, the city wants, as soon as the mobility law is decided to launch a tender to allow only three companies that may operate a limited number of scooters.
The city will not ban the scooters. "The scooters have become established as a way of getting around, and we have to deal with that," says Najdovski. "Plus, it can be positive as long as people stick to certain rules, and especially if they use the scooters as an alternative to public transport, which then relieves them of their burden."
But RoĆ«ls does not want to hear that. "I just do not think the rental scooters are a good idea – they are far too difficult to control," he says. Instead, he was in favor of pimping up the bicycle rental system VĆ©lib. This has changed since a little over a year ago the operator, many organizational and technical problems. "If the city simply organized the bike rental itself, you could get the whole thing going again and you would not have to reserve extra parking spaces for the scooters."
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