After Paris

Madrid bans rental e-scooters from its streets

Just over a year after Paris, Madrid has become the second Western European capital to ban the rental of e-scooters. The measure will come into force in October, announced Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida. 

The licenses of the three providers will be revoked because "they have not complied with the conditions we have set to ensure the safety of pedestrians, especially the elderly. Our priority is the physical integrity and safety of the people of Madrid", emphasized the mayor. There are no plans to grant licenses to other companies.

In Madrid, the three providers Lime, Dott and Tier Mobility have so far been allowed to rent out a total of 6000 electric scooters. Unlike in Paris, the scooter ban in the Spanish capital was decided without prior public consultation. In an initial reaction, the provider Lime asked for an urgent meeting with Martínez-Almeida.

No improvement despite penalties
E-scooters have been available in Madrid since 2019 and have become a contentious issue there because - as elsewhere - they are often parked in prohibited places, block sidewalks and endanger road safety. According to the authorities, inadequate insurance cover and the lack of training that companies should offer citizens were further reasons for the ban.

The situation had not improved despite the imposition of thousands of fines ranging from 30 to 200 euros. In Spain (as in other countries), there have already been numerous e-scooter accidents in which people have lost their lives.