One dynamic that emerged after the insurrection was how a new level of distrust among members scuttled potentially bipartisan legislation, and K Street reported feeling that fallout.
Micro-mobility regulation in Europe – where do we stand?
Samuel is a freelance journalist based in Brussels. He is specialised in technology news and digital policy, ranging from platform regulation to data protection, from cyber security to artificial intelligence. He was previously the Digital Editor at Euractiv, covering continental politics and global technology news.
Updated
May 27th, 2021.
Over recent years, major European cities have been subject to the swift uptake of micro-mobility solutions, with a series of benefits being pitched regarding the rollout of e-scooters, including the freeing up of parking spaces, reducing urban congestion and decreasing air pollution.
However, there has been no shortage of critics, with some claiming that e-scooters are not as eco-friendly as once thought, heavily emitting greenhouse gas emissions predominantly throughout the manufacturing, collection and distribution processes.
A new trade EU association for micro mobility services was launched on Tuesday (2 February) to unite eight e-scooter operators such as Lime and Bolt. Abandoned scooters and safety concerns are likely to top their policy agenda.
The group, called Micro-Mobility for Europe, aims to help shape policy around e-scooters in European cities and support the transition to zero-emission transport in cities.
The coalition brings together eight companies offering e-scooters for rent: Bird, Bolt, Dott, FreeNow, Lime, TIER, Voi and Wind.
E-scooters have been available to buy privately for many years already, but their popularity has taken off in the last few years as mobile phone apps allow people to rent them. These sharing schemes are now available across over 100 cities worldwide, mostly in Europe and America.