Prague will ban e-scooters for hire from its roads and pavements from the start of 2026, the city council decided on Monday.

The step was taken based on numerous complaints from residents about badly parked e-scooters and a large number of accidents involving them, some of them fatal, the CTK news agency reported.

The electric scooters can currently be hired by smartphone app from companies like Bolt and Lime and enjoy popularity among the Czech capital’s many tourists for seeing the sights rapidly and flexibly.

The Czech statistical office said the city recorded more than 8 million overnight stays last year, a record.

Bicycles and e-bikes will continue to be available for hire, with the city authorities in the future concluding agreements on the use of parking areas.

The companies will have to pay a monthly fee of around €1 ($1.20) per bicycle.

The issue has troubled residents of Prague’s inner city for years, as the local population falls.

At the beginning of October, a local referendum in one district resulted in an overwhelming majority of 82 per cent voting in favour of a parking ban on hired e-scooters.

(dpa/NAN)