Some European eScooter Laws changing this Week

Why are the laws changing so frequently?

One thing is very certain in the eScooter world right now: With regional adoption gaining ground, the laws seem to be ever-changing. Here in the United States, many states are changing their laws so that a particular city or county can move forward with changing laws in order to be able to adopt some better micromobility options like eScooters. Like with many other new forms of technology, there's always a bit of a barrier to entry, mostly due to the public not fully understanding the extent of the new technology. In this case, some fear some form of congestion. Others fear eScooters littering the sidewalks. Lastly and most importantly in this case, there are public fears for safety. Often, people fear that they'll see the fastest electric scooters zooming down the sidewalks or maybe even zooming in between cars in congested downtown areas. With all of these fears being at least a little bit logical, the cities, states, and countries are doing their parts to vet out what it would take to potentially introduce a new form of transportation into their respective areas.

How might this affect where I live?

This week, a couple of really key things happened in Europe that you should be aware of:

• German officials have agreed to move forward with the hopeful adoption of eScooters in the country. After transport minister Andreas Scheuer said that eScooters are a, "...genuine additional alternative for cars", the country is moving towards allowing small electric vehicles with a top speed of 20 kilometers per hour to be permitted. It must now be approved in the parliament's upper house to move forward. You wouldn't need a license or a helmet, but you would need insurance as part of the law.
• Paris has moved to regulate eScooters. Previously, rental companies have come in with close to 15,000 eScooters to the city center and the government is looking for a little bit of order with the riders. Soon, riding on pavement could cost you €135. Parking obstructions will equal a €35 fine, although the city of Paris has agreed to start construction on 2,500 parking spots for eScooters in the city. Additionally, eScooter rental companies like Bird or Lime would be charged an annual license per scooter, and have to sign a code of good conduct.

Some Final Thoughts

As we move forward where eScooters are becoming adopted more and more, please remember to ride safely. At a time where governments are still trying to decide if it will be legal or not to operate eScooters, riding safely will help encourage good riding habits to those who are starting to adopt the technology.