Add Brussels to the list of cities tired of thousands of shared e-scooters clogging streets and sidewalks and snarling traffic. And add it to the list of cities taking sharp action to end or mitigate the problem.
As of February 1, only two of the six scooter operators will be licensed, reducing the scooter count from 21,000 to 8,000, and there will be new rules and penalties when scooters are dropped off anywhere but in designated drop zones.
At the same time, there will be an increase in the number of shared bicycles allowed; by 2027 the total will rise from 3,300 to 7,500. There will also be an allowance for 300 shared cargo bicycles and 600 ‘step-through’ scooters.
Separately, last week, one of the selected companies, Dott and one of the not-selected companies, Tier, announced they will merge, forming Europe’s largest ‘micromobility’ operator.
