Paris to ban e-scooters

Indeed. Very scary.

I live in one of the trial areas - the scooters are a menace as many of them are ridden on the pavement when they are supposed to stick to the roads and cycle paths. Not to mention they don't always get parked neatly - we had a big problem with piles of them blocking pavements, to be fair the company did sort that out mostly after the council had a word. Riders can be reported for inappropriate use but they whizz past so fast its not always possible to get a look at the small licence plate. Voi are losing the contract here from next month, unfortunately a new company are taking over. It remains to be seen whether they will be proactive about poor behaviour by scooter riders. They are not environmentally friendly - they use electricity which is still mostly produced from natural gas, not to mention the rare earth minerals used in their actual production. The danger of any kind of electric vehicle, barring their weight, is they are almost silent.

They are a menace on the footpaths here. They are being ridden at speed by black clad mask wearing youths (it makes them look like bandits) but seriously, all wheeled contraptions are a menace when they cant’t be heard approaching from behind. Some cyclists (the Lycra Clad Brigade) are as bad with no bells because they aren’t cool and it is not always kids.

This is a footpath that is now “shared” but pedestrians were here first, but because some arrogant cyclists can ( wiz past) doesn’t mean they should
There are deaf, blind, disabled people in buggies, elderly people as well as parents with pushchairs, dog walkers to consider.
Sometimes it seams as though there is nowhere to go without something being driven at you👹

icanhandthemback

I think it is such a shame that e-scooters are used so poorly as they are a good way to travel if used sensibly. Regardless of the dangers to pedestrians, I can't help think that helmets should be a legal requirement.

It is a shame. If they’d been available when I was younger I’d have loved one. Even now I tried one on a plaza near the beach in Portugal.

Oh absolutely Mollygo I know of a few women where I work who use the ordinary big scooters to zip about on and it gets you home safe when working late and alone.
Just get a warning sound and some lights and stop with the daft garb. (You know who you are)
Where scooters are concerned though I’m afraid I cannot shake the image I have of scooters in my head and that is when I was little they were given to kids who’s parents wouldn’t let them have a bike😅

I've had a few narrow misses with these (cycles too) on the pavements here. Why is their speed not restricted?

Still, infoman 'a peaceful trip to Paris'? They drive like lunatics over there.

Last January, when it was still dark early on, l was driving carefully on a slightly uphill road where there were lots of parked cars. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a boy aged about twelve came zooming down the road on one of these e-scooters. He was dressed in black from top to toe and the only warning he was on his way was that he had a very dim bicycle lamp at the front which could not be seen until he was almost where l was. Had l been driving any more quickly, he would have been killed or very badly injured as l would have had no way of avoiding him. I felt shaky for quite a while afterwards. So dangerous.

Yep great!
I'm sure they're illegal anyway, same as riding your bike on the pavement which nearly kills me every day! Don't really think the cops would bother anyway

Ban the lot of them. They are a nuisance and dangerous.

Rental one’s allowed legally on the road., private ones not.

They also litter the pavements blocking access for pedestrians and wheelchair users.
Whoever invented and licensed them wants their head testing,

I live in London, on a very busy road. Two weeks ago whilst waiting at a bus stop, a young-ish man rode by on a scooter - with a baby (not more than 3-4 months old - strapped to his chest with some sort of shawl.
I did a double tak, couldn't believe my eyes!

I encountered an e-scooter on a bend in a public park, nearly losing my balance trying to avoid. A mum appeared saying as a joke that her son was having great exercise! I told her her son was riding the scooter illegally as only permitted on private land. She adamantly told me I was wrong and her husband should know - he being a police officer. Losing battle if even police don't know the law. The children where I live have been riding e-scooters for nearly 2 years. On the roads, pavements and they don't dawdle. One grandparent remarked they must be legal as you can buy them in Argos. The Governments of UK need to have a tv campaign highlighting the law on using e-scooters. Do hope they are banned, and soon. Also, I don't agree with electric bikes being used in parks. If you can't pedal a bike get off and push.

4allweknow

I encountered an e-scooter on a bend in a public park, nearly losing my balance trying to avoid. A mum appeared saying as a joke that her son was having great exercise! I told her her son was riding the scooter illegally as only permitted on private land. She adamantly told me I was wrong and her husband should know - he being a police officer. Losing battle if even police don't know the law. The children where I live have been riding e-scooters for nearly 2 years. On the roads, pavements and they don't dawdle. One grandparent remarked they must be legal as you can buy them in Argos. The Governments of UK need to have a tv campaign highlighting the law on using e-scooters. Do hope they are banned, and soon. Also, I don't agree with electric bikes being used in parks. If you can't pedal a bike get off and push.

It begs the question of whether there should be age restrictions on the use of these damned things.

They are a magnet for young and teenage boys who will be blissfully unaware of boring things like speed / safety etc. To all intents and purposes an e-scooter is a motorised vehicle and IMO (grumpy old woman) kids should not be riding them in parks, on pavements, or any public arena.

We have skate parks - maybe dedicated e-scooter parks might be an idea... then they can learn the hard way about the danger they are inflicting on the rest of us.

Pavements are for pedestrians - unless specifically shared - and we should have the right to be safe walking along them.

Over 18s only, on the roads with a vehicle licence, safety helmet and a short training course!

There is something weird in seeing a grown man belting along on an E scooter, usually on the pavement. I half expect him to speed himself along with one leg like we did as kids. It doesn’t look cool at all, almost pathetic.