If the “decision was up” to him, there would be no self-service electric scooters in public spaces, as is already the case in other large cities such as Barcelona, Valencia or New York. Bruno Bernard, the president of the metropolis of Lyon did not hide his hostility vis-à-vis the vehicles deployed for three years between Rhône and Saône. Because they compete with self-service bicycles – whose short-term subscriptions have fallen by half – but above all because they are dangerous.
In Lyon, the way in which the different users – pedestrians, bicycles, public transport and cars – share the road is not the easiest. “We have a subject of conflict of use. The arrival of self-service scooters adds security problems, “says the elected environmentalist, from the Actu.fr website.
A 180% increase in accidents since 2019
When it comes to accidents, the figures speak for themselves. In 2021, twenty-two people died in France in an accident involving electric scooters. Seven, the previous year. Between three years, the number of bodily accidents would have exploded. From 870 recorded during the year 2021, it would have increased to more than 6,000, according to estimates put forward by the JDD but not confirmed by Road Safety. On the other hand, the latter certifies that the number of injured increased by 177% over the period August 2021-July 2022, compared to the year 2019.
Faced with numerous incivilities, the City of Paris, in which 10 million scooter trips were recorded in 2021, is studying the possibility of not renewing the operators’ contract which will expire next February. A decision will be made in the coming weeks. “The account is still not there. Still too often, they find themselves on the sidewalks, ”denounced a few days ago, David Belliard, deputy in charge of mobility. Accidents in the capital have increased by 189% since 2019, according to the elected official who deplores “the inability of operators to enforce the basics of the Highway Code for their users”.
To avoid going off the road, the companies Dott, Lime and Tier had no choice but to react quickly. Put back to the wall, they presented Thursday eleven measures intended to better regulate the use of their machines in the public space. “The scooters will be equipped with a license plate so that the police can identify the user in the event of a violation”, reveals Alex Souter, President France of Tier Mobility. Rental will also be prohibited for drivers under the age of 18, as has already been the case in Lyon since the end of September.
In Lyon, the ban “is not on the agenda”
But in the capital of Gaul, no ultimatum. The ban on self-service scooters “is not on the agenda”, soberly replies the town hall, which launched a call for projects for the renewal of operators, in March 2023. However, the specifications could be tightened. In order to win the contract, one of the candidates has already announced that it intends to deploy technology preventing two people from riding on the vehicle and detecting the wearing of a compulsory helmet.
If some cities allow time for reflection, others have chosen to exclude self-service scooters from the first hour. This is the case of Villeurbanne. In 2019, the mayor issued an order prohibiting operators from parking their vehicles on sidewalks. Radical. No parking allowed, no traffic possible, by extension. Despite pressure from operators to return to the game, the position of the socialist town hall remains unchanged to this day. “The scooter is a very accident-prone mode for both drivers and pedestrians,” she argues with 20 minutes, adding that “traffic control on the sidewalks remains difficult”. “You would almost have to put a policeman on each sidewalk, which is impossible,” she summarizes.
Have a debate with the citizens?
In the Drôme, the municipality of Montélimar has just banned their circulation in the pedestrian streets. A first step. In Nice, the question never arose. Mayor Christian Estrosi, who is a fierce opponent of electric scooters, has always refused to install a self-service rental system in his town. Even more since the death of a 5-year-old child knocked down on the Promenade des Anglais. Same thing in Toulouse. In 2018, the Lime company tried to deploy its service there, but the seduction operation was cut short. At the end of three days, she saw herself obliged to pack up all her gear because the municipality, which had not issued her with an authorization, saw red. Since then, the pink city has maintained its position.
“It would be good to have a break on these self-service electric scooters”, finally believes Bruno Bernard for whom “it would be good to have this debate with the citizens”. Those of Villeurbanne do not really seem to regret them. “We have no request from the inhabitants for this situation to change”, indicates the town hall. And to conclude: “On the contrary, they tell us rather of their concern vis-à-vis a return of self-service scooters in the public space. »