Marseille withdraws 1,500 self-service scooters because "it's almost anything"

The mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan announced on Monday the withdrawal of 1,500 self-service electric scooters in the city, or 37.5% of the fleet, because "it's just about anything", according to the city ​​councilor who denounces the poor regulation of operators. “There are 4,000 scooters in Marseille and I have decided to remove 1,500 immediately, quickly. For what ? Because in fact it’s almost nonsense, it’s poorly regulated, I asked the operators to do drastic things, I see that a few times they dragged their feet,” said the annoyed mayor at the head of Printemps Marseille (left-wing union) on France Bleu Provence radio.

"If I had as many metro lines as in Paris, I would tell you this morning I'm taking the scooters off," he added, knowing that there are only two metro lines in the second. city ​​in France. At the beginning of September, Paris is the first European capital to have banned them following a popular vote. Benoît Payan, who threatens to go further, also asks operators to deploy a third of the scooters in non-central districts, in a city much larger than Paris, and to respect legal obligations.

Also read: What will become of the electric scooters banned from the streets of Paris?

Since the beginning of September, the minimum age for driving an electric scooter has increased from 12 to 14 years and the fines have increased from 35 to 135 euros to penalize driving two people on the same scooter or on prohibited routes. Furthermore, Benoît Payan took “the decision to lower the speed in front of all schools in Marseille” to 30 km/h following an accident in front of a school on Friday.

A four-year-old student was knocked down at the exit of the establishment, suffering from multiple fractures, according to the departmental Movement of parents of students of 13. sidewalk security measures (removal of two-wheelers and vehicles obstructing the surroundings of establishments), which are the responsibility of the City. Road users must be aware of the consequences of their actions when they are behind the wheel or on the handlebars, ”adds the parents' association.