The mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, announced Monday September 11 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 decided to remove 1,500 right away, 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 sometimes they dragged their feet”annoyed the mayor at the head of Printemps Marseille (left-wing union) on the radio France Bleu Provence.
“If I had as many metro lines as in Paris, I would tell you this morning I would remove the scooters”, he added, knowing that there are only two metro lines in France’s second city. At the beginning of September, Paris is the first European capital to have them banned 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, the city of Marseille being much larger than Paris, and to respect legal obligations.
Limitation of 30 kilometers per hour in front of schools
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 punish driving two people on the same scooter or on prohibited lanes.
Benoît Payan also took “the decision to lower the speed in front of all schools in Marseille” at 30 kilometers per hour following an accident outside a school on Friday. A 4-year-old student was knocked down when leaving the school and suffered multiple fractures, according to the Parents’ Movement of 13.
“The security work which is the responsibility of the metropolis must be accelerated, as are the measures to secure sidewalks (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.details the parents’ association.