Paris Votes to Ban E-Scooter Rental Companies

PARIS—People in the French capital have voted to ban electric-scooter rental services from its streets in a hotly debated referendum, a dark signal for an urban transportation market that the city helped pioneer.

Electric-scooter rentals lost in a landslide, with between 86% and 92% of people who participated voting against the services, according to preliminary district tallies released by the city.

Paris officials have said that in the event of an “against” vote, the three companies that pay for contracts to operate in Paris, including the U.S.-based company Lime, would have to yank their fleet of a combined 15,000 e-scooters in the city by Sept. 1.

If the city follows through, it would mark the first time that a major city that had offered contracts for e-scooter rentals in the center of town has made a complete U-turn on its policy, the companies said. It is a blow to scooter companies such as Lime, which had pointed to Paris as an example of how their services could be effectively regulated.

Paris’s regulatory scheme, which automatically limited the top speed of the scooters and required users to use dedicated parking areas or pay fines, has inspired elements of new tender offers or expansions of systems in cities including New York, London and Madrid, said the companies that currently operate in Paris. They also include the Franco-Dutch company Dott and Germany’s Tier Mobility.

The companies didn’t immediately comment on the outcome of the vote.

Pantone has released its 2024 Colour of the Year — and it’s warm and fuzzy.

Peach Fuzz has been named as the colour to sum up the year ahead, chosen to imbue a sense of “kindness and tenderness, communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration” said vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, Laurie Pressman.

“A warm and cosy shade highlighting our desire for togetherness with others or for enjoying a moment of stillness and the feeling of sanctuary this creates, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz presents a fresh approach to a new softness,” she said.

Pantone Colour of the Year is often a reflection of world mood and events

The choice of a soft pastel will come as little surprise to those who follow the Pantone releases, which are often a reflection of world affairs and community mood. Typically, when economies are buoyant and international security is assured, colours tend to the bolder spectrum. Given the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Israeli-Gaza conflict and talk of recession in many countries, the choice of a softer, more reassuring colour is predictable.

“At a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion grows ever stronger as does our imaginings of a more peaceful future,” she said. “We are reminded that a vital part of living a full life is having the good health, stamina, and strength to enjoy it.”

The colour also reflects a desire to turn inward and exercise self care in an increasingly frenetic world.

“As we navigate the present and build toward a new world, we are reevaluating what is important,” she said. “Reframing how we want to live, we are expressing ourselves with greater intentionality and consideration.

“Recalibrating our priorities to align with our internal values, we are focusing on health and wellbeing, both mental and physical, and cherishing what’s special — the warmth and comfort of spending time with friends and family, or simply taking a moment of time to ourselves.”

Each year since 2000, Pantone has released a colour of the year as a trendsetting tool for marketers and branding agents. It is widely taken up in the fashion and interior design industries, influencing collections across the spectrum.

Paris Votes to Ban E-Scooter Rental Companies

Vote hits companies such as Lime, which had pointed to Paris to show how scooter services could be regulated

Prepare yourself for the year of the peach