Love ‘em or loathe ‘em, shared electrically-powered scooters have become a common sight in major cities across Europe over the last few years.
However, after Paris – which was the first city to welcome e-scooters to its streets – announced a total ban on them in autumn 2023, hubs across the world like Madrid, Melbourne and Prague have followed suit.
And now, Brussels is jumping on the anti-e-scooter bandwagon. The contracts of the city’s two e-scooter providers – Bolt and Dott – are due to conclude at the end of 2026, and as Travel Tomorrow reports, the city’s government has voted in favour of not renewing them.
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Why? Well, there have been numerous complaints about irresponsible parking of the e-scooters, and 2025 saw 666 people injured in scooter-related incidents in the Brussels-Capital region, which was a 25 percent increase compared to 2024. The devices have even been used in shootings.
‘Anyone who falls off a scooter is more likely to be injured than someone who falls off a bicycle, and haphazardly parked share scooters make pavements even more difficult to navigate for people with reduced mobility, parents with pushchairs or the elderly,’ said Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt, according to The Brussels Times. ‘This decision goes beyond safety alone; it is about choosing a city with enough alternatives to get around quickly and efficiently.’
Does the ban include e-bikes?
It does not – Brussels also has a shared e-bike platform called Villo!, and while that’s set to change management in September 2028, these will likely remain operational. It’s worth noting that these are based on a system with fixed docking stations, and can’t simply be parked anywhere.
How have other cities managed e-scooters?
News of the effective e-scooter ban comes after they’ve been widely criticised across Belgium. In May, Antwerp hospital group ZAS pushed for a 12-8am ban on e-scooters to minimise the severest injuries, and Jean-Luc Crucke, Belgian mobility minister, has also called for helmets to become compulsory.
The aforementioned French, Spanish and Czech capitals have banned the scooters altogether, while places like Rome and Copenhagen have introduced restrictions such as introducing park bays and stricter speed limits.
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