E-scooters return to Copenhagen but with significant restrictions

The Danish capital seeks to ensure the safety of all road users

E-scooters first made an appearance in Copenhagen three years ago. At the time, it was not legal for users to drive on public roads. When this changed, 13 different e-scooter providers made their products available, offering citizens a new and easy way to travel. While this was well-received by many, others found it problematic as discarded scooters caused various accidents.

As a result, the City of Copenhagen removed rental e-scooters from the capital’s streets in 2020. Now, it has made agreements with several providers as 4 companies have shown interest in setting up rental e-scooters in the Danish capital. As of Monday 18 October, 2 of these providers will place scooters in the city.

New rules and restrictions

Although e-scooters will once again be available to rent, there will be significant restrictions in terms of their use. The new rules state that scooters cannot be rented from the central part of the city. What is more, they can only be parked in 1 of 240 designated zones.

In other words, one can no longer begin or end a journey in a ‘dense city area’. These areas include parts of Vesterbro, Østerbro, Amager, Christianshavn and the entire Inner City. Nevertheless, users will still be able to drive the e-scooters in the city and park them temporarily while the metre continues to run.

“We have previously experienced major problems with scooters, which were left across sidewalks and bike paths and made it difficult for Copenhageners to get around the city. The problems must be overcome by the new rules. In addition, we will be in constant dialogue with the rental companies to handle any challenges,” commented Jesper Borch from the Technical and Environmental Administration.

Expanding on this, the City of Copenhagen will further carry out inspections of parked e-scooters to ensure that people follow the new rules and guidelines. If they come across an inappropriately parked vehicle, they will pick it up and send a bill to the provider.

It is important to note that the capital has also laid out new rules regarding rental bicycles. In this case, cyclists must park their bicycles in designated parking areas, such as racks and stands. The City of Copenhagen will also conduct random monthly checks to ensure that no bicycles are parked illegally.

With these new regulations, the City of Copenhagen seeks to guarantee the safety of all citizens and improve traffic safety.