Top 3 On-Demand Mobility Stories in Europe - 6 June 2019

1. Swedish transport agency calls for ban on e-scooters on the road

The Swedish transport agency has called for a ban on electric scooters being ridden on roads following a fatal crash. The incident in Helsingborg, a town north of Malmo, came just one day after electric scooters had been launched. The transport agency's investigator, Hans Cassepierre, said that the agency believes that electric scooters should not be allowed "in traffic." The agency added that, if companies providing the scooters cannot ensure that they comply with the same rules as electric bicycles, which have a speed limit of 20km/h, they face being banned in Sweden.

2. Poland's president signs new ride hailing law

President Andrzej Duda has signed an amendment to the Road Transport Act into law. The amendment, known in Poland as the "Lex Uber", would oblige drivers operating via ride hailing platforms to obtain a taxi licence. It also legalises the setting of journey prices via an app, rather than a taximeter, and removes a requirement for prospective taxi drivers to take tests examining their knowledge of the local area.

3. Copenhagen mulls limits on e-bikes and e-scooters

Copenhagen's Deputy Mayor for Technical Issues, Karina Vestergard Madsen, has called for a limit of 200 shared electric scooters to be imposed in the central district of the Danish capital. The Committee for Environmental and Technical Issues is also discussing a further limit of 3,000 shared electric bikes and electric scooters in Copenhagen's "bridge" districts, the areas of the city immediately outside the city centre. If the limits are agreed, e-bike and e-scooter sharing companies will have to apply for permits to deploy scooters and bicycles.

This is a weekly note covering the top three developments in the regulation of on-demand transport in Europe. It covers taxis, ride-sharing, car sharing, carpooling, bikes, e-bikes, scooters, shared mopeds and anything else that's relevant to the sector. If you'd like to receive this direct to your inbox then please enter your email address below: