Source: The Guardian

E-scooter providers, including Lime, Dott and Tier, Mobility licenses to be cancelled from October due to issues with circulation and parking.

Madrid will ban app-based e-scooter rentals after the city’s three licensed operators failed to enforce limits on their users’ riding areas and parking, according to the city’s mayor.

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

“The market was found to be incapable of meeting the requirements set by the mayor’s office to ensure the highest level of safety for citizens,” he said in a statement. The shared e-scooter system has faced criticism in cities worldwide for reckless driving and improper parking by some users.

Following a public consultation, Paris banned e-scooter rentals last year.

Since May 2023, Madrid’s city council had regulated the e-scooter rental market, allowing only Dott, Tier Mobility, and Lime to operate, with each authorized to rent out 2,000 scooters.

These companies were required to provide the mayor’s office with access to their data and implement technology to ensure scooters were parked in designated areas and not used in pedestrian zones or near historic parks.

However, the operators failed to comply, the statement said, adding they have 20 days to appeal the decision.