E-scooters are a common sight on city streets from Berlin to Paris, but have been blamed for accidents and deaths
By Beh Lih Yi
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Singapore became the latest city to target electronic scooters on Tuesday, when a ban on riding the devices loved by commuters but loathed by pedestrians took effect.
E-scooters have become a common sight on city streets from Berlin to Paris, but they have been blamed for accidents including the death of an elderly lady in Singapore this year.
Anyone riding an e-scooter on the city's sidewalks now faces up to three months in jail or a fine.
Here are five other countries that have restricted or banned e-scooters.
1. FRANCE
Paris has banned e-scooters from sidewalks, with offenders facing a fine of 135 euros ($150).
A speed limit of 20km (12 miles) an hour has been imposed on the motorised vehicles across the capital, where scores of people have been injured and a man in his 80s was killed in April.
2. GERMANY
German lawmakers voted in May to legalise e-scooters on roads and cycling paths but ban them from sidewalks. Riders must be aged 14 and above, and comply with a 20 km per hour speed limit.
3. SPAIN
Last year Madrid banned e-scooters from pedestrian areas and from roads with speed limits of 50 km an hour or more.
4. BRITAIN
It is illegal to ride e-scooters on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements and offenders can face a fine of £300 ($387), although there have been recent calls for the ban to be lifted.
5. UNITED STATES
Some cities have imposed restrictions on e-scooters and a study in September found they were involved in a rising number of injuries, often involving young men who are drunk or stoned.
Atlanta in August banned e-scooters at night after four deaths involving riders. San Francisco temporarily banned e-scooters last year after an influx of complaints from residents over illegal parking and congested streets.
Sources: City of Atlanta government website ($1 = 0.7760 pounds) ($1 = 0.8986 euros) (Reporting by Beh Lih Yi @behlihyi, Editing by Claire Cozens. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
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