Several days after the tragedy on the Promenade des Anglais, cities in our regions begin to reconsider the guidelines for the use of electric scooters.
On June 30, a terrible accident occurred on the Promenade des Anglais. A 5-year-old child was fatally struck by an electric scooter. Originally from Ukraine, he had fled the war with his mother to find refuge in Nice.
This tragedy, which affected the entire city and even all of France, has brought the issue of electric scooter use back to the forefront, as criticism had already been growing increasingly strong.
With the significant popularization of electric scooters, the problems caused by these newcomers on roads and bike paths are becoming visible to everyone. It is mainly the excessive speed and lack of safety that are criticized. In 2021, 24 scooter users were killed in France, 17 more than the previous year. To regulate and secure these uses, several municipalities in the Alpes-Maritimes region have already taken the initiative.
In Cannes, at the request of mayor David Lisnard, the Municipal Police are conducting regular checks to penalize uncivil users. Thus, more than 892 fines have been issued for non-compliance with regulations since March 2021. In parallel, a communication campaign entitled “Without a license, not everything is allowed!” was launched last May on the urban billboard network and on the backs of Cannes buses to raise awareness of the risks associated with using this device.
In Antibes Juan-les-Pins, following the announcement of the Ukrainian child’s death, the municipality also decided to act by raising awareness through the display of illustrations with two slogans: “Sidewalks are off-limits!” and “The helmet is your shield!”.
Already opposed to electric scooters by refusing the installation of a self-service system in Nice, mayor Christian Estrosi has decided to go even further. A little over a week after the accident, the mayor of Nice stated that if the Government allowed him, he would enact a police ordinance “that would prohibit scooters from using bike lanes, as long as they are motor-powered scooters” and “work to implement radars for bike lanes”. Christian Estrosi also mentioned considering two options to enhance safety: “apply the same rules to bike lanes as to roads, such as traffic lights and pedestrian crossings” or “place the bike lane between the north and south lanes of the Promenade des Anglais, without disrupting traffic flow”. These are “traffic studies to be conducted within three months” and “consultations with users of all mobility forms” that will help the official choose between these two possibilities.
Meanwhile, the city of Nice has announced several measures in a statement:
- Starting today, daily checks are conducted by Municipal Police officers, with 4 classes of fines according to the Highway Code (35€ / 135€ / 1500€ / 3750€)
- Within 10 days, pedestrian crossings at the three pergolas between Villa Masséna and the Palais de la Méditerranée will be reinforced, with barriers physically separating the bike path from the pedestrian area.
- Within 2 months, all 40 pedestrian crossings along the Promenade will be redeveloped and secured. Traffic lights dedicated to bikes and scooters will be installed in the denser zone between Gambetta and the Centenary.
- Rumble strips to mechanically slow the speed of two-wheelers near pedestrian crossings, accompanied by on-ground signaling “SLOW DOWN” and signs will also be implemented. The paint of all pedestrian crossings and on-ground signage will be updated, and passages equipped with reflective or solar-powered systems for good visibility at nightfall. Lastly, Nice’s services have been asked to develop statistical tools on modes of transportation citywide.
