Prague will prohibit the rental of e-scooters in its historic first district from 2026, joining other major European cities such as Paris and Madrid in restricting the use of shared electric scooters.
The measure follows a referendum in which 82% of voters supported a parking ban on the vehicles, citing issues with pedestrian safety and urban clutter.
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City councillors approved the new rules on Monday, effectively ending the use of rental e-scooters in Prague’s old town. Deputy Mayor Zdeněk Hřib said the decision aims to restore order in public spaces where scooters were “more a tourist attraction than a means of transport” and had caused “chaos on and in pedestrian zones.”
The ban applies only to shared e-scooters, leaving shared bicycles – including electric bikes – unaffected. City officials said they plan to support bike-sharing initiatives by offering designated parking areas along pavements and roads, with operators required to pay a monthly fee of around €1 per bike.
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Lime, one of Prague’s largest e-scooter operators, said it regrets the decision but emphasized that shared scooters can “serve citizens” effectively in cities that foster “constructive dialogue.”
The new restrictions reflect a broader trend across Europe, where cities have tightened regulations or imposed bans on e-scooter rentals following safety complaints and concerns over public space usage. Paris implemented a similar ban in 2023, leading operators such as Voi to shift their focus toward bike-sharing schemes.
Source: theguardian.com, spiegel.de