First city in Germany to ban e-scooters: ‘We are pioneers’

A city in Germany’s Ruhr region is officially banning the use of electric scooters starting this weekend, the first in the country to do so.

In a dispute between the western city of Gelsenkirchen and the two rental companies Bolt and Tier, the local administrative court ruled that the two companies must comply with the municipal order to “remove the e-scooters from public traffic areas by April 20, 2024.”

“We are pioneers,” city spokesman Martin Schulmann told dpa.

A Bolt spokesman told dpa that the decision is not final. Only the two companies’ urgent applications had been denied, he said.

An appeal could be lodged against the court decision.

The Shared Mobility (PSM) platform accused the city council of taking a “disproportionate and discriminatory approach” against e-scooters in a statement drawn up jointly with the provider Tier.

The city had previously demanded that the rental companies establish the identity of their users.

“Unfortunately, the e-scooters are mainly misused, including in pedestrian zones and on sidewalks, and there have been many serious accidents,” Schulmann said.

Up to now, it has been sufficient to state a name to rent an e-scooter from the two rental companies, explained Schulmann.

However, this means that users can apply with fake names in the rental app and the actual customers cannot be identified, which is why the city has demanded that users register once with the rental companies with an ID card or driver’s license.

E-scooters are considered a major nuisance and safety risk in many cities in Germany because they can become an obstacle when carelessly parked or thrown on the ground and cause accidents through sometimes reckless use.