89.03 percent of Parisian voters have rejected this Sunday in a referendum to renew the contracts of electric scooter rental companies.
Specifically in the referendum 91,385 votes were cast against the scooters to 11,256 (10.97 percent) in favor, according to official results published by the Paris City Hall.
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.
»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.
This unprecedented citizen consultation in the capital is an initiative of the mayor, Anne Hidalgo from Cadiz, who advocated the withdrawal of the scooters once the contract currently in force ends on August 31. The vote is advisory in nature, but Hidalgo had pledged to implement what was decided.
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.
In favor of the system, the 800 jobs that are now threatened and the flexibility for commuting that they provide. Some of the rental companies had even allowed their free use during the day to facilitate participation.
The operators have already taken »note» of the result and have argued that participation could have been »broader and more representative» if more tables had been opened and electronic voting had been allowed.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
