A ban on self-service rental e-scooters has come into force in Paris after the people of the French capital city voted overwhelmingly against them.
The move comes after a rise in the number of accidents and complaints from its citizens.
Contractors Lime, Dott and Tier had a total fleet of 15,000 e-scooters scattered around the city between them, which are now no longer permitted as of today.
Private e-scooters are not affected by the ban.
Nearly 90% of the more than 103,000 Parisians who voted in April supported a ban on e-scooters.
The trio of contractors criticised “restrictive voting methods” in a joint statement after the result – saying it was a “step back” for sustainable transport ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
However, the vote was hailed as a victory for road safety campaigners who cited a rise of injuries and fatalities among users of e-scooters.
Three deaths and 459 injuries were attributed to e-scooters in Paris last year, compared to one fatality and 353 injuries in 2021.
On Wednesday, only two days before the ban began, a 12-year-old girl was reportedly killed on an electric scooter after being hit by a car in Chessy, in the eastern suburbs of Paris, French newspaper Le Parisien reported.
The scooters were also described as an eyesore and a traffic menace by many disgruntled residents.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo previously campaigned to banish rental e-scooters based on safety, public nuisance and environmental concerns.
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Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo previously campaigned to banish the system of e-scooters. Pic: AP
E-scooters were introduced five years ago and gained a following among some Parisians and tourists who sought to avoid public transport, or didn’t have their own vehicles.
They could be rented and dropped off around the city randomly by the rider under what was known as a “free-floating” system.
