The issue is “extremely divisive”, mayor Anne Hidalgo told the weekend edition of Le Parisien newspaper, with critics saying riders show only cursory respect for the rules of the road.

They often defy bans on riding on pavements, or park without consideration, while some abandon the scooters in parks or even toss them into the Seine river.

Fans meanwhile praise the zippy fleets — totalling 15,000 scooters operated by companies Lime, Dott and Tier — as a fast, non-polluting alternative to cars or crowded public transport.

READ ALSO: ‘Inherently unsafe’ – Why Paris readers want e-scooter rental schemes banned

Hidalgo said Paris residents would be asked “a very simple question” in the referendum planned for April 2nd: “Do we or don’t we continue with free-floating rental scooters?”

Only people registered to vote in municipal elections will be able to take part in the referendum, which means that most foreigners living in the capital will not get a say.

The mayor said she herself was leaning towards a ban but would “respect Parisians’ vote”.

A ban would make Paris an exception among major cities.

In September, the capital already threatened the three operators with non-renewal of their licences, which expire in March, if they failed to limit reckless riding and other “misuses”.

The operators in November came up with a number of suggested improvements, including equipping the scooters with licence plates that would allow easier tracking of riders running a red light, or travelling in pairs on the single-person vehicles — both common violations.

READ ALSO: Paris e-scooter operators unveil new safety measures in bid to avoid ban

But David Belliard, Hidalgo’s deputy in charge of urban transport, still said a cost-benefit analysis did not favour the rental schemes.

“They are in the way and they are dangerous,” he told AFP, saying he favoured a ban to “pacify our streets and pavements”.

There was “too much negative feedback” from citizens about the scooters, he said.

Hidalgo told Le Parisien meanwhile that privately owned scooters, also hugely popular in the capital, were not targeted in the referendum. They are “not a problem”, she said.