They will be banned in 2027, the Brussels region has announced, citing safety concerns.
“Too many, too many problems… Brussels is turning the page on rental electric skates,” wrote yesterday, Thursday, on his social media account, the head of the regional government, Boris Dieu.
The Brussels region points out that similar decisions have been made in Paris, Madrid and Prague in recent years.
In the Belgian capital, the licenses granted to existing operators Bolt and Dott expire at the end of 2026, the regional government said. The bicycle rental service will be maintained.
What companies and unions are saying about the decision
Bolt and Dott have denounced the ban on shared e-skates in 2027. The ACV-CSC union also criticized the district’s “barbaric” decision, which it said “puts 60 jobs at shared e-skate service provider Dott at risk”.
“The majority of the workers affected are low-skilled, which makes their reintegration particularly difficult,” added the union.
The regional government justifies the ban by citing an “alarming” increase in accidents. In 2025, 666 people were injured in Brussels in electric scooter accidents, a 26% increase compared to the previous year, according to the region. The regional government also criticizes “electric scooters that are not properly parked and often obstruct other road users”. And he denounces “the use of rented electric skates for criminal purposes”, especially by drug dealers.
Paris has become the first European capital to completely ban these two-wheelers for hire in 2023 following a vote organized by the city council.
