Prague is set to ban the rental of electric scooters from January 2026, following a proposal by the Czech capital’s deputy mayor, who noted that the popular mode of transportation is causing “chaos on sidewalks.”
The city council officially approved a major revision of regulations for public transportation on Monday, a decision that affects a city with nearly 1.4 million residents whose historic cobblestone streets attracted over 8 million tourists in 2024.
While new rules will be introduced for parking both classic pedal bikes and electric bikes, the new regulations conspicuously omit any provision for electric scooters, essentially signaling the end of shared, electric scooters within the city.
Zdenek Hrib, president of the national Pirate Party and deputy mayor for transportation in Prague, confirmed the move on X, saying, “The end of e-scooters has been approved!”
“We are introducing clear rules that will rid public spaces of the uncontrolled circulation of scooters, which were often used in the city center more as a tourist attraction than as a means of transportation, and caused chaos on sidewalks and pedestrian zones.”
This initiative by the Prague City Council is part of similar initiatives by other popular European tourist destinations to ban electric scooters in recent years. Some cities have imposed strict safety rules, such as helmet use and insurance in Italy, or have completely banned their rental, as in Paris and Madrid. Finland has banned their use for people under the age of 15.
The authorities in Prague said they acted after residents complained about the dangers posed by scooters that travel at high speeds on sidewalks or in parks, blocking pedestrian traffic and taking up valuable parking spots on the streets when not in use.
The city council, which wants to promote the wider use of shared bicycles, said that electric scooters have higher accident rates than bicycles.
Lime, one of the largest operators of shared electric scooters in the city, expressed regret for the decision.
“In cities where there is constructive dialogue with operators, scooters can work very well and serve citizens,” said the Czech news agency CTK, citing statements from Lime’s country manager Vaclav Petr.
