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Paris clamps a cap on scooters

 

Paris is joining the ranks of cities that are restricting electric scooter companies that have zoomed in both popularity and problems. It plans to license three companies and tell the rest to, well, scoot.

The ubiquitous dockless scooters, which can be unlocked with an app and left anywhere, are being offered by twelve different companies in Paris, and have become a public issue because riders leave them anywhere, often blocking paths and roads, and because the city has been left to clean up vandalized scooters dumped in the river and canals. Altogether, there are now about 12,000 scooters in the capital.

An earlier attempt to get the companies to clean up their acts was unsuccessful, and the city is now following the lead of Marseille to license and regulate a smaller number of companies which will pay for the right to operate. Three firms will be chosen, to start in January.

French highway laws were recently amended, adding scooters to the code, making them subject to the rules of the road, including speed limits and a limit of one rider per scooter.

The best part of every trip is realizing that it has upset your expectations

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I suspect there's a very large number of people who have been near-missed by not-experienced riders. And if there's no way to make them hum or buzz, maybe we could encourage  the old playing card and clothespin trick!

The best part of every trip is realizing that it has upset your expectations

Beyond the danger to the pedestrians is the danger to the riders of the scooters.  They move quickly in and out of traffic.  Almost none of the riders I saw used any protective gear -- I'd think that a bike-type safety helmet should be a minimum requirement.

Twitter: @DrFumblefinger

"We do not take a trip, a trip takes us".  John Steinbeck, from Travels with Charlie

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