From Paris to Singapore, cities put the brakes on e-scooters

From Paris to Singapore, cities put the brakes on e-scooters

Singapore became the latest city to target electronic scooters on Tuesday, when a ban on riding the devices loved by commuters but loathed by pedestrians took effect.

E-scooters have become a common sight on city streets from Berlin to Paris, but they have been blamed for accidents including the death of an elderly lady in Singapore this year.

Anyone riding an e-scooter on the city’s sidewalks now faces up to three months in jail or a fine.

Here are five other countries that have restricted or banned e-scooters.

1. FRANCE

Paris has banned e-scooters from sidewalks, with offenders facing a fine of 135 euros ($150).

A speed limit of 20km (12 miles) an hour has been imposed on the motorised vehicles across the capital, where scores of people have been injured and a man in his 80s was killed in April.

2. GERMANY

German lawmakers voted in May to legalise e-scooters on roads and cycling paths but ban them from sidewalks. Riders must be aged 14 and above, and comply with a 20 km per hour speed limit.

3. SPAIN

Last year Madrid banned e-scooters from pedestrian areas and from roads with speed limits of 50 km an hour or more.

4. BRITAIN

It is illegal to ride e-scooters on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements and offenders can face a fine of £300 ($387), although there have been recent calls for the ban to be lifted.

5. UNITED STATES

Some cities have imposed restrictions on e-scooters and a study in September found they were involved in a rising number of injuries, often involving young men who are drunk or stoned.

Atlanta in August banned e-scooters at night after four deaths involving riders. San Francisco temporarily banned e-scooters last year after an influx of complaints from residents over illegal parking and congested streets.