Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Angelique Chrisafis in Paris

Lime criticised for offering free rides before Paris e-scooter referendum

Couple on a Lime e-scooter in Paris
Parisians will vote on whether to carry on allowing e-scooter hire firms such as Lime to operate in the city. Photograph: Joly Victor/Abaca/Rex/Shutterstock

The US scooter rental company Lime has come under fire from Paris officials for offering free 10-minute rides to users who register to vote in next month’s referendum on whether the French capital should ban for-hire e-scooters.

Paris city hall has warned that the capital’s fleet of 15,000 for-hire e-scooters presented safety concerns, stressed pedestrians and clogged-up streets, and the mayor, Anne Hidalgo, has taken the unusual step of calling a public vote on 2 April over what she called an “extremely divisive” issue.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.