Despite facing legal pushback on the limitation of e-scooter operators, the rollout of drop-off zones in Brussels has largely been a success. However, good geographical distribution is lacking.
Brussels has in recent years tried to crack down on e-scooters to curb the nuisance they caused. Brussels streets and squares have long seen a blight of shared micromobility vehicles, especially e-scooters, which litter pavements and reduce traffic safety. The region implemented measures that went beyond those adopted nationally in 2022 but the vehicles remained a source of nuisance and inconvenience.
It therefore passed a new decree to better regulate shared e-scooters and e-bikes from 1 February. One of the key measures of this new law was limiting the number of e-scooters and operators across the region, but this faced several legal challenges which eventually culminated in the Council of State suspending the restriction on e-scooters, meaning the entire limit on operators will fall.
However, the specially designated drop zones to park e-scooters have had a positive effect. There are currently 1,738 drop zones across the region. "We have seen a real improvement and footpaths were more respected," Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt told The Brussels Times.
Fines can be issued to operators if vehicles are misplaced, or city authorities may remove the scooters if they cannot be parked in a drop zone within a radius of 150 metres. The Council of State upheld the legality of parking in drop-off zones and also the system of parking fines, which the minister welcomed.
Difference between municipalities
However, the full rollout of the measure is not yet complete, as there are no, or virtually no, drop-off zones in Forest and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, MP Els Rochette (Vooruit.brussels) reported on Thursday.
"The huge difference between municipalities is unacceptable. This should not depend on the goodwill of municipalities," Rochette argued. "A good geographical distribution of the drop zones is crucial to guarantee equal access to the shared e-scooters for everyone, wherever they live."
Van den Brandt recognised that the system was not yet perfect, but noted that the dropoff zones on the regional roads have been put in place, which is the minister's responsibility. The municipalities themselves, in this case, Forest and Molenbeek, are in charge of rolling them out on their territory.
