Paris citizens to vote in April on whether to keep e-scooters or not

The residents of Paris are to vote on whether the city should let companies continue to offer e-scooters for rent in April, the mayor said on Saturday.
At present, three rental companies offer about 15,000 e-scooters, but some see these as a nuisance as they are often carelessly discarded after use by tourists and locals, blocking the pavements or causing accidents.
The rental companies' license expires in February and some have called for a ban, including Mayor Anne Hidalgo, she told newspaper Le Parisien.
E-scooters are not environmentally friendly and the companies' employees do not enjoy sufficient protections, she said.
But the decision should lie with the people of Paris and she will respect their view, she said, adding that the use of private e-scooters should not be restricted.
Scooter rental companies introduced tougher rules in early December in order to prevent a looming ban. Now, users must scan their IDs when registering, so only adults can use the vehicles, while those who misuse them can be more easily identified and prevented from renting them in future.
The step aims to make it easier to track traffic violations. The scooters are to get number plates, too.