Madrid is set to prohibit e-scooter rentals via mobile applications on safety grounds, after the city’s three licensed providers did not adhere to regulations regarding user circulation and parking management, according to the mayor of the Spanish capital.

Source: The Guardian

José Luis Martínez-Almeida announced on Thursday that the licenses for Lime, Dott, and Tier Mobility would be revoked starting in October, with no plans to issue new licenses to other companies.

“The market has proven unable to fulfil the requirements established by the mayor’s office to guarantee the utmost safety for residents,” he stated.

The “scooter sharing system” has faced criticism in cities globally due to instances of reckless riding and improper parking by users.

Last year, Paris also banned e-scooter rentals following a public consultation. Since May 2023, the Madrid city council had put regulations in place for the rental e-scooter market, allowing only Dott from Amsterdam, Germany’s Tier Mobility, and US-based Lime, which operates through Uber’s app.

Each operator was permitted to rent out 2,000 scooters. These companies were required to provide the mayor’s office with access to their data and to implement technology that would ensure customers parked scooters in designated areas and could not rent them in pedestrian-only zones or near historic parks.

However, the operators did not comply with these requirements, as noted in the statement, which also mentioned they have 20 days to file an appeal.