The Brussels regional government announced Thursday that electric rental scooters will be banned from public roads starting in 2027 [1].
This decision marks a significant shift in urban mobility for the Belgian capital, as officials prioritize pedestrian safety and public order over the convenience of micro-mobility sharing services.
Government officials said the ban is a response to a rising number of accidents involving the scooters [1]. The administration also said that these vehicles have caused increasing hindrance to other road users and have been subject to frequent misuse [1].
While rental scooters were introduced to provide a flexible, last-mile transport solution, the regional government determined that the negative impacts on public space outweighed the benefits. The ban will apply specifically to the use of these shared electric scooters on public thoroughfares [1].
Officials did not specify if privately owned electric scooters will be subject to the same restrictions, focusing the current mandate on the rental fleet models that often clutter sidewalks [1]. The timeline allows operators and users several years to adjust before the 2027 [1] deadline takes effect.
Brussels joins a growing list of European cities attempting to regulate or eliminate shared e-scooters to reclaim sidewalk space. The move follows years of tension between city planners and the tech companies providing the scooters, as the city struggled to enforce parking rules, and safety standards [1].
“Electric rental scooters will be banned from public roads starting in 2027.”
The decision by the Brussels regional government reflects a broader European trend toward 'degrowth' in micro-mobility. By removing rental scooters, the city is signaling that the externalities of the sharing economy—such as sidewalk clutter and safety risks—are no longer acceptable trade-offs for reduced car dependency.
