Paris rejects rental scooters with almost 90 percent of the vote
89.03 percent of Parisian voters have rejected this Sunday in a referendum to renew the contracts of electric scooter rental companies.
91,385 votes against scooters
Specifically in the referendum, 91,385 votes were cast against the scooters to 11,256 (10.97 percent) in favor, according to the official results published by the Paris City Hall.
Low participation
Despite the clarity of the result, the low turnout of 7.46 percent of a census that includes more than 1.3 million names stands out.
No incident that could alter the validity of the vote.
«After the end of the day, there is no incident that could alter the validity of the vote. We salute the quality of the voting system and the professionalism of the mobilized agents», emphasized the president of the Control Commission, Yves Charpenel.
Unprecedented citizen consultation in Paris
This unprecedented citizen consultation in the capital is an initiative of the mayor, Anne Hidalgo, who advocated the withdrawal of scooters after the end of the contract currently in force on August 31. The vote is advisory in nature, but Hidalgo had pledged to implement what was decided.
The risk they pose to safety and neglect
Opponents of the 15,000 scooters currently operating in Paris warned of the safety risk they pose and that they were abandoned everywhere in the public space.
800 jobs
In favor of the system, the 800 jobs that are now threatened and the flexibility for commuting that it provides. Some of the rental companies had even allowed free use during the day to facilitate participation.
Criticism of low participation
The operators have already «taken note» of the result and have argued that the turnout could have been «broader and more representative» if more tables had been opened and electronic voting had been allowed.
