Der Spiegel – New legislation to be introduced next month in Berlin will make it obligatory for e-scooter users to park their vehicles in car parking spaces, rather than on pavements.
With the increased use of such vehicles, and the widespread use of bicycles in the city, the Berlin Senate has decided to take action to try and reduce the number of obstacles for pedestrians walking on the pavement. In order to combat this, the city will bring in new rules which mean that those parking smaller vehicles in car parking spaces will not be required to pay a fee. Bettina Jarash, a senator for the Green party, said that ““It is the case that bicycles, but also electric and other small vehicles are actually vehicles, and that means they can be parked in parking lots”. She went on to explain that the goal of the policy was for “bicycles, scooters and other small vehicles to disappear from the pavements, where they have been legally tolerated until now”.
The new rules will apply from January 1st, and after a transitional period, e-scooters will no longer be allowed to be parked on pavements, but instead only at special collection points or parking spaces on the street. In addition, whilst bicycles will still legally be permitted on pavements, it is hoped that the new regulations will encourage users to consider placing them in parking spaces instead.
Unsurprisingly, the new regulations have created concern among motorists, fearing that a single bike could now block an entire parking space, making parking even more difficult. In response to this, the Senate Chancellery has stated that, when possible, bike users should use bike racks if possible.
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