Electric scooters have been adopted by many cities to provide their residents with a way of transportation. There are various reasons such as avoiding traffic or helping those who do not own vehicles themselves. However, Parisians now aim to ban electric scooters from the city.
Banning the Rental Scooters
The scooters in question can be rented by anyone anywhere through a mobile app. Around 15,000 electric scooters are available for use, but they might just be removed from the streets depending on a ban decision that will be made by April 2nd.
Locals have complaints regarding the scooters, saying that the mode of transportation is jamming the streets, blocking the sidewalks, and can also pose a risk to people who are walking on the street.
A study from the Queen Mary University of London and St. Mary's Hospital said that users would ride the scooters were likely intoxicated and less likely to wear a helmet, while a UK research claims that electric scooters can cause worse injuries as opposed to bicycles.
Police reports state that there have already been more than 400 accidents caused by electric scooters back in 2022. This led to 459 people getting injured, according to Interesting Engineering. Fortunately, there have been no records of fatal accidents.
Users can get 10-minute rides free of charge if they can provide proof that they're registered to vote, as offered by Lime, an e-scooter rental service. Green Deputy Mayor David Belliard expressed that "offering to buy voters is frankly not pretty."
Lime's offer states that redeeming the offer was simple and that all users have to do is fill out a brief. This will grant them a 10-minute free ride. Elliot Lepers, a designer, and activist likened the offer to getting paid to participate in an election.
Vous trouveriez ça normal d'être payé pour participer à une élection ?
C'est exactement ce que fait Lime en offrant 10 min gratuites à tous ses clients pour les convaincre de voter au référendum du 2 avril sur l'interdiction des trottinettes en libre service à Paris. pic.twitter.com/xsV2E8ZgvK— Elliot Lepers (@ElliotLepers) February 28, 2023
Read Also: Trikke Professional Mobility - Transforming How Agencies Patrol
What Would Happen to the Scooters?
In the event that electric scooters are banned, there's a possibility that it could have environmental implications. In fact, reports say that its life span is not as sustainable and can even be a danger to recycling facilities of e-waste.
One of the main appeals of electric scooters is that they can be instrumental when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint. So it goes without saying that the use of electric scooters can be eco-friendly. However, there's still the issue with its batteries.
Electric scooters use lithium-ion batteries, which can also be found in everyday devices like laptops and smartphones. They are convenient to use since they can hold a lot of power for longer use, and are rechargeable.
Since these batteries are designed to be disposable, they will end up in recycling facilities or garbage dumps sooner or later. The danger stems from the chemicals within the battery that can be toxic when not disposed of properly.
Lithium-ion batteries contain chemicals like lead, mercury, cadmium, and nickel, as mentioned in Unagi Scooters. When not properly taken care of, these chemicals can potentially leak into the environment resulting in the contamination of soils or waters.
