Following Paris' plan to ban shared e-scooters on its streets, the Brussels-Capital Region is planning no such thing, said Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt.
Following the referendum in Paris, in which nearly 90% of the residents who voted wanted a ban on shared e-scooters due to the road chaos and accidents they cause. While Brussels also records a high number of e-scooter accidents, a ban is not yet an option.
"But there will be an evaluation," Van den Brandt told Belga News Agency on Monday. "If there is no improvement in road safety and respect for other road users in a year's time, stricter measures will be considered."
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For her, it is especially important to make the footpaths in the Brussels-Capital Region safer and protect pedestrians, especially people with reduced mobility, but also for people on electric scooters.
The rules for parking and using the shared e-scooters adopted by the Regional Parliament – which should come into force before the summer – deserve to be given a fair chance, Van den Brandt stressed: the parking policy will be harmonised with drop zones, and there will be penalties for incorrectly parked scooters.
Operators who are committed to this will be able to retain their licence. Additionally, the maximum speed for shared scooters will be reduced from 25 to 20 km/h (and 8 km/h in pedestrian areas).
