Brussels (Brussels Morning) – Despite aiming to reduce shared e-scooters to 8,000 in Brussels, there are still approximately 12,000 operational, as court rulings allowed providers to continue. Lime and Voi hold a significant portion.
Despite the Brussels Government’s ambition to reduce the number of shared e-scooters in the Capital Region to 8,000 from February this year, some 12,000 scooters are still dynamic at the end of May.
What were the intentions behind the Brussels Mobility Minister’s stricter regulations?
To prevent the proliferation of scattered e-scooters, Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) presented a stricter framework for shared e-scooters in February. The Minister determined their number to 8,000, split equally between Bolt and Dott (which has since joined with Tier)
However, providers Lime and Voi moved to court to challenge the reform and won – meaning they were permitted to stay. In a parallel case in late April, the more diminutive operator Gliize was also acquitted before the Council of State, which judged that the Region cannot simply roll back a given licence.
What was the outcome of the court’s decision on scooter providers?
The court’s provisional break gave a green light to all certified providers to put back their scooters in one fell swoop. Thus, the maximum number of scooters per provider is also no longer useful.
What is the current status of shared e-scooter operations in Brussels?
At the end of April, the Council of State also examined a large part of Van den Brandt’s scooter reform. Since then, all operators with a continuous licence have been allowed to offer their scooters again. Still, their number has not grown since the Council’s ruling. “Currently, there are still around 12,000 e-scooters working in Brussels, the same number as when the reform took effect,” Van den Brandt’s spokesperson Litte Frooninckx spoke to Bruzz. “Before the reform, it was 23,000 scooters.”
Which providers are still active and how many scooters do they possess?
Dott and Bolt are still contributing around 4,000 each, with both stating they do not want to go over that number in the future. The remaining scooters are possessed by Lime and Voi. The latter reduced its number from 4,000 to 2,500 after the reform but stated that it could go up to 4,000 again shortly. “We are obliged to spread our scooters across the Capital Region, as is stipulated in part of Van den Brandt’s ordinance that was not annulled by the Council of State.”
While Lime has a caravan of some 3,500 active scooters in Brussels, the company regularly adjusts that number to the availability of drop zones. Voi’s licence stays valid until August this year, while Lime has a privilege until July next year.
Despite Gliize’s success last month, the company has not yielded with its fleet. Pony has been away from Brussels since February, but its licence lapsed in May. Lastly, Poppy has no plans to return either.
