Oct 20, 2025, 3:41 p.mOct 20, 2025, 3:41 p.m
In Prague, e-scooters will not be available for rent from January 1st, 2026.Image: keystone
The tourist hotspot of Prague will ban rental e-scooters from its streets and sidewalks from the new year. According to the CTK agency, the city council decided this on Monday.
The move was justified by numerous complaints from residents about electric scooters being parked incorrectly and standing in the way. In addition, there were frequent accidents involving the companions, some even fatal.
The vehicles from providers such as Bolt and Lime can be rented using a smartphone app. The e-scooters from rental companies are particularly popular with tourists as a way to explore the city quickly and flexibly. Last year, according to the CSU statistics agency, Prague had more than eight million overnight guests from home and abroad – a historic record.
As an alternative to rental e-scooters, rental bikes with or without electric drive are available. In the future, the city administration wants to conclude contracts with the rental companies of these vehicles regarding the use of designated sidewalk and street areas for parking. To do this, companies have to pay a monthly fee of around CHF 0.92 per bicycle.
The topic concerns people in the historic core of the Czech capital, which has been suffering from declining population numbers for years. The first district even held a local referendum on the issue at the beginning of October. A clear majority of 82 percent of those involved were in favor of a parking ban for rental electric scooters. (sda/dpa)