A referendum to allow or eliminate municipal scooters in Paris

UNDER RECORD

• RAQUEL VILLAÉCIJA

  Correspondent

  @rvillaecija

  Paris

Updated Saturday, January 28, 2023-02:06

• Share on Facebook

• Share on Twitter

• send by email

Comment

• La Mirada del Correspondent The Eiffel Tower is rusting: several reports warn that it needs a complete repair

Scooters on the streets of Paris: yes or no.

Parisians will have to decide whether they want to have this type of municipal service vehicle that is causing more and more accidents and deaths.

The mayoress of the capital, Anne Hidalgo, wanted to eliminate them, but in the end she has decided

.

The consultation will take place next April.

"I will respect the vote of the Parisians, even if it is contrary to what I would like," Hidalgo admitted.

The mayoress is party

aria to prohibit them: Consider that they are dangerous, are a source of conflict and accidents grow.

The mobility service they provide, they claim from the City Council, does not compensate.

.

It is almost twice as many as in previous years, when there were less than 10.

Last fall Anne Hidalgo already warned three companies that are in charge of providing the service in the capital that she would not renew their license.

This expires next month.

"There is a lack of a road code on the streets to say how to behave and how the police have to punish offenders," French politics had warned.

These scooters work on

Paris

like rental bikes: the user downloads the application, locates the nearest vehicle, scans the QR code and pays.

Its use is causing more and more controversy, many circulate with absolute anarchy and cause road safety problems.

Some go on the bike path, but others go on the sidewalks or on the road.

Another problem is that they go at great speed and most of them do not have a helmet.

Complaints from pedestrians, cyclists, taxi drivers, drivers accumulate...

This means of transportation has become

, where most accidents are concentrated.

In 2019, measures were approved to regulate its use, similar to those for cyclists.

Circulation on the sidewalks and the prohibition of its use for children under 12 years of age were prohibited.

They have to have a mandatory braking system, only one person can circulate per scooter and headphones cannot be used while driving.

The Parisian City Council also limited the speed to 10 kilometers per hour, which in principle was 25 in the rest of the country.

The braking time of these vehicles is longer, for example, than that of other motorized vehicles.

The National Academy of Medicine itself warns in a report published in 2022 of its danger.

The previous year, 22 people died in accidents, many for not wearing a helmet, which is not yet mandatory.

In nine out of 10 accidents the victims did not have the protection system on, according to data from Road Safety.

In Lyon, a few months ago, two teenagers who were riding together on the same scooter on a lane reserved for buses died.

They collided with an ambulance.

.

These are just a few examples of the tragic accidents that occur with this means of transport widely used by young people and adolescents.

The problem is global and, therefore, the Government is also working on a national plan to regulate these vehicles.

The Minister of Transport,

He agrees that "controls and obligations must be strengthened" for its users, although he is not in favor of prohibiting its use.

sustainable

The Government maintains that they are means

more sustainable when traveling

, but it could introduce some rules, such as making it mandatory to wear a helmet or the prohibition of talking on the phone while using them.

Also establish controls to limit age.

"Measures, controls and security obligations must be strengthened", acknowledged the Minister of Transport.

Weeks ago, the companies that provide this service themselves implemented measures to precisely prevent the city council from censoring them, such as the registration of the fleet.

In addition, users are required to scan their documentation before reserving it for

.

These companies also proposed creating surveillance patrols, with employees in charge of ensuring that they are properly parked on the streets, and not lying in the middle of the sidewalks, which is another of the problems that the city council complains about.

which is the maximum sanction for those who exceed the allowed speed.

In the last three years the number of accidents in which these vehicles have been involved has grown, especially in Paris: close to a thousand accidents.

Only in 2022 there have been three deaths and 459 injuries in 400 accidents, according to data from the Paris Police.

The previous year another person died and there were more than 300 injuries.

The three companies in charge of providing this service have

.

For them it means ruin, they denounce.

The opposition to Hidalgo criticizes the measure, considering that it is better to regulate their use than to prohibit them.

Hidalgo is also criticized for holding a referendum to wash his image when in reality he has been wanting to ban them for months.

The last word will be given to the Parisians on April 7.

To continue reading for free

Sign inSign up for free

Or

and you will have access to all the web content of El Mundo