Electric scooter operators have removed all their 15,000 vehicles from the streets of Paris following a controversial public vote. 

Five years after it become the first city in Europe to open to the e-scooter market, the French capital has also become the first to end the experiment after residents voted to ban e-scooters in an April referendum with a 7.5 per cent turnout. 

Since 2018 the service has become very popular, particularly with those under 35. However, it also faced strong criticism, as the vehicles were often left discarded on the streets, blocking pavements and stressing pedestrians. In 2022 alone, the Paris police reported 400 accidents involving e-scooters. 

The city’s authorities attempted to address the issue in 2020, issuing strict e-scooter legislation, which limited the number of operators and automatically tracked speeds. However, it was not enough to convince its residents, with 90 per cent voting to ban them.

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