A draft proposal for amendments to regulations governing electric micro-vehicles is set to grant municipalities the authority to prohibit the placement of rental e-scooters and bicycles on sidewalks. The proposal, revealed by the Tagesspiegel newspaper, aims to address growing concerns regarding the impact of shared mobility services on urban spaces.
While the regulations will generally permit the parking of both private bicycles and e-scooters on sidewalks and pedestrian zones, provided it doesn’t endanger or obstruct others, this allowance will not extend to commercially operated rental services. The Ministry of Transport clarifies that the provision of shareable bicycles and e-scooters on public roads for station-independent rental is not considered permissible parking under the revised regulations. This effectively restricts the practice of rental companies freely leaving vehicles on sidewalks and in pedestrian areas.
Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder acknowledged the evolution of the shared mobility landscape since the introduction of these vehicles in 2019. “Electric micro-vehicles are now an integral part of the mobility mix in our cities” he stated. “However, the situation has changed and we’ve seen increasing frustration regarding the placement of rental scooters and bicycles in many areas.
The proposed changes aim to provide legal clarity regarding the future regulation of vehicle placement, requiring providers to develop localized concepts in collaboration with municipal authorities. This allows cities to define specific parking rules for rental operators, potentially designating marked areas, stations, or other designated locations for vehicle placement.
A spokesperson for the Shared Mobility (PSM) platform, representing companies such as Voi, Bolt, Uber and Lime, described the proposal as a virtual ban on shared mobility vehicles in public spaces. The PSM argues that the flexibility to freely place vehicles is crucial for the availability of micro-mobility services where they are needed and that a station-based system is both financially unsustainable and impractical on a widespread scale. The PSM has urged policymakers to reconsider the clause, warning of potentially irreversible damage to the industry.