Electric scooter rider killed in Paris as city weighs ban on rental schemes

An electric scooter rider in Paris was killed after colliding with a truck on Thursday, police said, days before Mayor Anne Hidalgo decides on whether to outlaw e-scooter rental fleets.

Published: 17 November 2022 18:25 CET
Updated: 18 November 2022 09:45 CET

Electric scooter rider killed in Paris as city weighs ban on rental schemes

Rental electric scooters are seen near a sidewalk in Paris in 2021 (Photo by AFP)

Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire told AFP on Thursday that while they were still discussing the problem, Hidalgo was leaning towards a ban that would make Paris one of just a few major cities to outlaw free-float e-scooter fleets.

Accidents have climbed as the popularity of the devices has soared, with 22 deaths in Paris last year, up from seven in 2020.

Like many big cities, Paris is wrestling with how to enforce safe practices for the zippy devices, promoted as a non-polluting alternative to cars or crowded public transport.

Critics say riders show only cursory respect for the rules of the road and regularly defy bans on riding on sidewalks, not to mention inconsiderate parking or scooters abandoned in parks or tossed into the Seine river.

The French capital cracked down a few years ago by limiting the number of operators to just three — Dott, Lime and Tier — and the total number of scooters to 15,000.

But in September, officials gave the companies one month to come up with measures to limit reckless riding and other “misuses” or risk a loss of their licences.

Member comments

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Once a preferred spot for gala premieres, the UGC Normandie was one of several grand cinemas on the Champs-Elysées that made the area a hub for film buffs in the 1960s and 70s.

But the street long ago lost its cool among Parisians, becoming increasingly dominated by flagship fashion stores and tourists taking snaps of the Arc de Triomphe.

The UGC cinema chain said it faced a “very sharp increase in rent” at the location, which is owned by the Qatari royal family.

Two other famed cinemas on the boulevard, the George V and Gaumont Marignan, have closed since 2020.

“The cinema is disappearing in somewhat terrible circumstances for the whole culture,” said a former employee, 22-year-old Yann Raffin, adding that he feels both “sadness” and “anger”.

“This avenue is transforming into an avenue reserved for the ultra-rich,” he told AFP.

The last screening on Wednesday night was “La La Land” with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, a fitting tribute to Hollywood musicals of a bygone era.

Its director, Damien Chazelle, appeared on screen with a special message for the sold-out crowd.

“This room was an extension of my own life, it was a friend and an ally,” said Mehdi Omais, 40, a film journalist, visibly moved.

“It’s heartbreaking to see it close and to see this avenue becoming a cemetery of cinemas.”

An auction of the chairs and decor was due on Thursday, including the huge letters on the outside, with proceeds going to a charity that organises screenings for hospitalised children.

Paris remains a film-going hotspot and still has more cinemas per head than anywhere in the world, with swanky new theatres opening elsewhere in the city.

They include a state-of-the-art Pathe cinema near the Opera Garnier, designed by architect Renzo Piano who created the Pompidou Centre and The Shard in London.