Shared electric scooters may be abolished in Lisbon: Municipality will discuss the ban on October 21

An important decision is being prepared for shared electric scooter services, which have become a part of daily transportation in Lisbon. Mayor Carlos Moedas announced that he wanted the current system to be terminated due to security problems and vehicles left on the sidewalks. The proposal is expected to be discussed at the municipal government on Wednesday, October 21. However, as of today, there is no definitive practice that the services will be completely banned or that all scooters will be removed immediately.

Why does the city want to eliminate scooter services?

In his statement on the evening of October 15, Carlos Moedas argued that the shared electric scooter system does not work in its current form.

The main problems raised by the mayor include using scooters in the wrong direction, driving on sidewalks, two people getting into the same vehicle and leaving vehicles haphazardly.

Moedas stated that these behaviors negatively affect the safety of pedestrians and the use of public space.

The mayor emphasizes that vehicles left on the sidewalks pose a problem, especially for people with limited mobility.

When will the decision be discussed?

The proposal is expected to be discussed at the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa meeting on Wednesday, October 21.

This date is important for the political and administrative evaluation phase of the regulation.

However, when the mayor announces a regulation, that regulation Taking effect is not the same thing.

The scope of the application, transition period and obligations to be imposed on operators will be finalized after the official decision.

When can scooters be taken off the streets?

According to the mayor's statement, giving operators a transition period to collect their vehicles is being considered.

It is on the agenda for this period to extend until the end of 2026 or until the end of January 2027 at the latest.

However, these are the possible calendars announced.

The exact deadline will depend on the regulation the municipality adopts.

Therefore, it is not correct to say that all shared scooters in Lisbon will be removed from the streets on October 16.

Which scooters will be affected?

The announced initiative specifically targets shared electric scooter services rented through the application.

In this system, users rent a car through a mobile application and leave the car under certain conditions at the end of the trip.

It has not been confirmed that a ban of the same scope has been announced for all personally purchased electric scooters.

This distinction is important; because personal vehicle use and commercial shared vehicle operation may be subject to different regulations.

What measures has the municipality tried before?

Various applications have previously been implemented to regulate the use of scooters in Lisbon.

These include parking restrictions in certain areas, limitation of use with geolocation technologies, special There are parking spots and speed limits.

Moedas argues that current measures do not sufficiently reduce the problems.

However, this evaluation does not mean that all scooter users act against the rules.

It can also be evaluated to what extent the problem is caused by user behavior, operator control or city infrastructure.

How might transportation be affected in Lisbon?

Shared scooters are used especially for short distance journeys and public transport connections.

If the system is removed, it is possible that some users will turn to walking, cycling or public transportation.

However, it has not yet been shown that this change will definitely reduce or increase traffic congestion across the city.

To evaluate the impacts, current scooter trip numbers and users' alternative transportation preferences are important.

What about existing users' subscriptions?

Since there is no final municipal application yet, it is not clear how existing subscriptions, prepaid balances and packages will be affected.

These issues may depend on the operators' contractual terms and transition arrangement.

Users need to follow the official decision of the municipality and announcements of relevant applications, rather than assuming that the service ends immediately.

Is scooter use banned in Lisbon today?

Mayor's statement as of October 16, in the future regarding a regulation planned to be implemented.

In order for the shared scooter system to be completely abolished, the official decision and implementation schedule needs to be clarified.

For this reason, the declared political intention should not be confused with the enacted ban.