Madrid, 6 September 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Madrid has become the second Western European capital to ban the hire of e-scooter, just over a year after Paris banned them from its streets.

The measure will come into force in October, Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida announced on Thursday.

The licences of the three current providers will be revoked because "they have not complied with the conditions we have set to ensure the safety of pedestrians, especially the elderly. Our priority is the physical integrity and safety of the people of Madrid," Martínez-Almeida said.

There are no plans to grant licences to any other companies. The three providers - Lime, Dott and Tier Mobility - have so far been authorized to rent out a total of 6,000 electric scooters in the city.

Unlike in Paris, the scooter ban in the Spanish capital was decided without any prior public consultation. One of the providers, Lime, responded by requesting an urgent meeting with the mayor.

E-scooters have been available in Madrid since 2019 and have become a contentious issue there because they are often parked in prohibited places, block pavements, and jeopardize road safety.

The authorities in Madrid say inadequate insurance cover and the companies' failure to provide the training they were supposed to offer citizens were further reasons for the ban.

The situation had not improved despite the imposition of thousands of fines ranging from €30 to €200 ($33-$220). There have been numerous fatal e-scooter accidents in Spain and in other European cities.

Photo: EPA