Ban shared e-scooters from city streets?

Shared electric scooters appeared in many cities within a few years: a phone app, a scooter on the pavement, and a short ride for a few coins. For some people they are a convenient way to cover the last mile. For others they are a nuisance on the footpath and a danger on the road, and a growing number of cities have limited or banned them after trying them.

Supporters of a ban point to safety and public space. They argue that scooters left across pavements block people with prams, wheelchairs or poor sight, that riders on footpaths frighten pedestrians, and that injuries, some of them serious, are common among riders and others. They add that many trips replace walking rather than car journeys, which weakens the climate case [check: add a source on injuries or trip replacement].

Supporters of keeping them argue that mobility gaps are real. Scooters can connect people to stations, jobs and shops where transit is thin, and cost less than a car or a taxi. They say most problems come from poor rules, not the vehicle itself, and can be fixed with designated parking, speed limits, helmets, riding on roads and bike lanes only, and fines that are really enforced.

Cities that have tried both approaches report mixed results. A ban ends the problems quickly but also removes the benefits. Strict licensing and parking rules may keep some of the benefits but need monitoring and funding.

It also helps to remember that cities differ. A dense old town with narrow footpaths, a wide new district with bike lanes, and a university campus each pose different problems, so a rule that works in one place may not suit another.

If you take part in this debate, it helps to say which city or type of city you mean, what rules would be in place, and which result, such as safety, access, emissions or cost, matters most to you.