A toilet-green e-scooter stands on the swing bridge at Cologne's Rheinauhafen and looks harmless.

The water in the Rhine basin is not quite as green, but all the more murky - a look towards the Grund is hardly worthwhile.

Nevertheless, one knows: Down there are the collected companions of the green vehicle, all e-scooters.

They should be rescued on Monday.

Johanna Dürrholz

Editor in the Society department at FAZ.NET

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At lunchtime, however, Sebastian Schlebusch, spokesman for the micromobility working group of the Shared Mobility (PSM) platform, didn't have much to report: “So far we have found a scooter.” Instead, other items were found, such as office chairs.

PSM is an association of the major rental companies, including companies such as Lime or Share Now, one of the largest car sharing providers in Germany.

It finances the rescue operation in Cologne, which, according to estimates, will cause costs in the six-figure range.

Rescue by special divers

PSM wanted to start recovering the e-scooters as early as June. But the Rhine waterways and shipping office said no: the recovery process was not planned in enough detail. So in August a sonar boat drove along the Rhine for four days and identified possible e-scooter locations. Now they are to be rescued by specialist divers. At first they only dive in the Rhine basin, not in the Rhine - the right ship is missing for the river, says Schlebusch, which is still needed for clean-up work on the Ahr. 60 of the 105 identified sites are in the basin anyway.

Three young women whiz past on e-scooters when Schlebusch speaks to the press.

One of them shouts something over her shoulder, her fellow passengers giggle.

Your hair flutters in the airstream, the scooters make good speed.

Schlebusch calls this the "Free Floating Experience": that e-scooter users can simply park their vehicle anywhere, very flexibly, and start driving anywhere.

But many Cologne residents turn their bikes because of the e-scooters that block sidewalks, have fallen over and hinder cyclists and pedestrians.

No parking in party hotspots

“It can't go on like this,” tweeted Mayor Henriette Reker on Friday.

The city of Cologne has therefore reduced the number of e-scooters by 35 percent;

a compromise with the providers, 50 percent were required.

In addition, the city has changed the parking rules: The zones in which scooters are not allowed to be parked have been expanded.

On weekends, there is also a temporary parking ban at party hotspots such as the Ringen or the Belgian Quarter.

At Rekers Post there are voices calling for the abolition of e-scooters.

Others point out that fewer cars might rather calm the traffic situation in Cologne.

Sebastian Schlebusch said on Monday that e-scooter users should be educated better. Many don't even know that it is bad to park the e-scooter on the sidewalk. Others, on the other hand, don't seem to care if the thing lands in the Rhine. After all, some scooters will be recovered from the harbor basin on Monday.