Prague City Council Did Not Approve a Ban on Shared E-Scooters

The new system was intended to regulate shared mobility through contracts. However, these contracts would not have been made with e-scooter operators. If scooters were placed in unauthorized locations, the city’s Technical Road Administration (TSK) would have started removing them.

The proposed system was based on agreements between TSK and bike/e-bike operators, allowing vehicles to be parked only in designated public areas. According to earlier information, operators would have paid CZK 25 (approx. €1) per month for each vehicle. According to ČTK, only Pirate Party council members voted in favor of the proposal.

Only Pirates voted in favor

According to Tomáš Portlík (ODS), leader of the Spolu (Together) representatives, the proposal was inadequately prepared, which is why coalition partners did not support it. “Managing Prague’s transportation is a full-time job — it can’t be done half-heartedly, submitting proposals at the last minute in such poor condition that council members can’t vote for them in good conscience,” he said. He added that Spolu would support the proposal if Hřib revised it properly.

Hřib rejected this criticism, saying the reasons for not voting were just excuses. “We worked on the e-scooter issue for nearly two years. We put a lot of effort into preparing thorough regulation aligned with the recommendations of three ministries,” he said. “Let me remind you that solving the e-scooter issue was part of the coalition agreement and one of Mayor (Bohuslav) Svoboda’s campaign promises in 2022 — and even he didn’t vote for it today. Sadly, our coalition partners STAN and SPOLU are once again failing to honor their promises to voters and are not voting in favor of Prague citizens,” he added.

According to the proposal, shared e-scooters have numerous negative effects, including a high rate of accidents, traffic violations, and disruption of the public order. The city stated that it wants to support shared mobility, but e-scooters are often used more for recreation than transportation — especially in inappropriate areas such as in parks and on sidewalks.

In the case of improper parking, operators would receive a CZK 100 fine and a grace period to fix it. If they failed to do so, the fine would increase to CZK 1,000, and TSK would remove the scooter, returning it only after the fine was paid. Designated parking areas would also be accessible to Prague residents for their own bikes.

The situation was also criticized by Prague ANO leader Ondřej Prokop: “It’s shameful that the coalition is unable to agree on how to solve this. This example clearly shows Zdeněk Hřib’s failure to communicate. He doesn’t talk to anyone about his proposals, ignores committee recommendations, and then is surprised when his solo proposal is rejected,” he said.

The Prague 1 district has long supported a ban on shared e-scooters and had advocated for the regulation to be implemented via a city ordinance. After the vote, Prague 1 authorities immediately called on the city council to consider their alternative proposal — establishing no-scooter zones. They claim this model has worked well with Segways.

Prague 1 disappointed by rejection

Mayor of Prague 1, Terezie Radoměřská (TOP 09), expressed disappointment that no decision was made before the summer tourist season. “During this time, the situation in the streets deteriorates significantly, with unruly tourists massively abusing shared scooters,” said Radoměřská. Prague 1’s transport councilor Vojtěch Ryvola (Naše Praha 1) speculated on social media that the rejection might be due to pre-election rivalry between coalition parties.

The rejected system, according to city representatives, was based on recommendations from the Ministries of Transport, Interior, and Industry and Trade. Other cities — including Paris, Madrid, and Melbourne — have already banned shared e-scooters.

From last Thursday to Sunday, municipal police focused on checking e-scooters and cyclists. “Once again, it was confirmed that the main offenders were scooter riders — of the 911 total violations detected, they were responsible for 649,” said city police spokesperson Jiřina Ernestová. Officers issued 1,326 fines totaling CZK 193,602 (€7,800), reported 67 offenses to administrative authorities, and resolved 517 cases with a warning.