Brussels will remove rental e-scooters from its streets at the start of 2027, following mounting concern over accidents, blocked pavements and the way the vehicles have been used in criminal activity.
The Brussels-Capital Region has decided not to renew the licences held by Bolt and Dott, the two remaining operators providing shared e-scooters in the city. Their authorisations will run until the end of 2026, after which the service will be phased out.
The decision does not affect shared bicycles. City authorities plan to keep bike-sharing schemes in place and expand the number of e-bikes available for short urban journeys.
For Brussels, the issue has become less about convenience and more about the cost to public safety and public space. Rental scooters, once promoted as a quick and low-emission alternative for short trips, have increasingly been criticised for being ridden dangerously or abandoned on pavements, creating obstacles for pedestrians, wheelchair users and older residents.
Accident data has added to the pressure. According to regional figures reported by The Brussels Times, 666 people were injured in incidents involving e-scooters in 2025, marking a 26% rise from the year before.
Medical and road safety experts have also raised concerns about the type of injuries linked to e-scooter crashes. Falls can leave riders particularly exposed, with head and facial injuries among the risks associated with collisions or loss of control.
Brussels officials have cited another concern beyond road safety. The regional government said shared e-scooters had also been used by drug traffickers and organised criminal groups. Authorities linked the vehicles to 25 shootings in the city in 2025.
The move places Brussels alongside other European cities that have taken a tougher approach to shared e-scooters after an initial period of rapid growth. Paris removed rental e-scooters in 2023, Madrid has also acted against them, and Prague is preparing to ban shared e-scooters from 2026.
The wider trend suggests that many European cities are now reassessing whether rental e-scooters can be safely integrated into busy urban streets. In Brussels, the answer from 2027 will be no, with officials instead turning their focus to shared bikes and e-bikes.
With information from Euronews
