CNN
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As far as the bikes are concerned, it can hardly be denied that rented e-scooters are currently one of the most controversial means of transport in the world.

In recent years, micromobility devices have become a familiar sight on the streets of major cities around the world and are often praised as an efficient and sustainable way to get around.

However, their presence has also led to calls for tighter controls, as the number of accidents increases and there are complaints that they cause chaos on sidewalks and roads.

Authorities in the Australian city of Melbourne have now moved to an even more comprehensive ban on the rental of electric scooters, citing safety concerns following hundreds of complaints and accident reports.

On Tuesday, Melbourne City Council voted to terminate contracts with two e-scooter operators, Lime and Neuron, and give them 30 days to remove their vehicles.

“This was an opportunity to end the chaos on Melbourne’s sidewalks and make our city safe again,” Melbourne Mayor Nicolas Reece is said to have said at a press conference on Wednesday.

“I have heard from Melbourne residents, traders and visitors over the last few days who have literally begged us to end the process to make our city safe again.”

Melbourne’s short-lived love affair with e-scooters began in 2022, when the Victorian state government launched a two-year trial, calling them an “accessible, environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to get around.”

According to the city’s “trip report”, an average of 7,800 trips per day were made in Melbourne in recent years using micromobility vehicles, 6,800 of which were using e-scooters.

At the same time, the experiment has helped reduce the city’s carbon dioxide emissions by more than 400 tons over the past two and a half years, according to a government statement released earlier this month.

However, the popularity of this relatively new form of transportation has also been linked to an increase in accidents and injuries.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital released a report in December 2023 that cited 256 e-scooter-related injuries – including one fatal accident – and urged the city to improve safety measures for e-scooter users. They can often be rented without a license and can reach a top speed of 25 kilometers per hour.

Now a battle between government officials seems to be brewing.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said on Wednesday the state could intervene in response to the city’s decision, making it clear that this debate will not end anytime soon.

Worldwide bans and raids

Rome limits the number of e-scooters after problems emerged

Melbourne is not the only major city that has doubts about the usefulness of e-scooters.

Paris, once one of Europe’s biggest e-scooter cities, has voted to ban rented e-scooters in 2023.

Copenhagen banned them in 2020 and reintroduced them the following year, but with strict new rules. Barcelona has partially banned them in historic parts of the city since 2016. In London, the use of private e-scooters on public roads remains illegal, but public tests with three operators have been underway since mid-2021.

In 2022, Rome’s relationship with e-scooters faced a critical test: the city authorities were forced to introduce new rules to reduce the impact on the public. Historic preservation also played a role this year, when two Americans were fined around $800 for throwing rented scooters down the Spanish Steps, causing around $26,000 in damage to the delicate marble.

And this month, the dangers of combining alcohol and e-scooters made headlines in Seoul: K-pop megastar Suga apologized after he was reportedly caught riding an e-scooter while under the influence of alcohol.

The singer, who is a member of the Korean boy band BTS, said in a post on the online fan community platform Weverse that he was “heavy-hearted and sorry.”

“Last night I drank at dinner and rode an electric scooter home. I thought it was only a short journey and was not aware that you are not allowed to ride an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol and therefore violated the road traffic laws,” the post said.

“I fell when I parked the electric scooter in front of my front door. When the police nearby checked my alcohol level, I was fined and my driving license was revoked,” added the 31-year-old singer.