Self-service sharing scooters by companies like Dott, Tier and Lime, known as trottinettes in French, are on their way out in Paris following a vote where nearly 90 percent of Parisians voted for their ban. The service will be stopped on September 1, 2023.

The vote was unanimous across all arrondissements , with 85.77 percent in the center of the capital and up to 91.77 percent in the 16th arrondissement voting for the ban.

In total, 89.03 percent of the votes cast were against keeping self-service scooters in the capital. However, participation was low at 7.46 percent, with only 103,000 voters out of more than one million registered voters taking part.

See also: How to get around Paris on public transport

The vote was initiated by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who had previously expressed her intention to withdraw self-service scooters. The socialist mayor has repeatedly stated that she will respect the decision of the voters.

Electric scooters have been criticized for being abandoned anywhere in public space, brushing against pedestrians on sidewalks at full speed, and not being environmentally friendly.

The result of the citizen vote has threatened over 800 jobs, as the operators, who own 15,000 self-service electric scooters in the capital, have tried everything to prevent their eviction, including making access free on voting day and engaging in paid campaigns on social networks through influencers.

The operators have expressed disappointment at the low participation and the voting procedures, suggesting that more polling stations, electronic voting, and municipal information could have improved the consultation.

Despite the concerns of the operators, the mayor of Paris hailed the vote as “a victory for local democracy” and confirmed that there will be no more self-service scooters on the streets of the capital from 1 September 2023.