Brussels to ban shared e-scooters from 2027
Shared e-scooters will be banned from Brussels from 2027, the Brussels government announced on Thursday. The decision comes in response to a rising number of accidents, growing disruption to other road users and the misuse of shared e-scooters for criminal purposes.
In 2025, 666 people were injured in the Brussels-Capital Region in accidents involving an e-scooter, a rise of more than a quarter compared to 2024. Carelessly parked scooters frequently block the way for pedestrians and cyclists, while Brussels public prosecutor Julien Moinil has pointed out that shared scooters were used in 25 shootings in the capital last year.
The contracts of current providers Bolt and Dott expire at the end of this year. They are the only two companies permitted to operate e-scooters in the capital, and no new contracts will be awarded. Brussels joins Paris, Madrid and Prague, where shared scooters have already disappeared from the streets.
Shared bikes will remain permitted. JCDecaux currently operates the Villo! bike-sharing scheme in the capital; that concession will be extended until September 2028, after which a new system must be introduced. It will again be based on fixed docking stations across all Brussels neighbourhoods, with electric bikes throughout.
The sharp rise in accidents is also prompting calls for action elsewhere in Belgium. In May, the Antwerp hospital group ZAS called for a ban on shared scooters between midnight and 8 am, noting that injuries from scooter accidents tend to be more serious at night.
At the federal level, Mobility minister Jean-Luc Crucke wants to make helmets compulsory for users of e-scooters capable of exceeding 20 kilometres per hour, with the rule due to come into force in September. Shared e-scooters, however, will be able to sidestep the requirement by limiting their top speed to 20 kilometres per hour.
© BELGA PHOTO NOE ZIMMER
Related news
