The ban on rental e-scooters was greeted by both opposition and “joy” in Sliema on Friday.

While some judged the surprise announcement "too harsh", especially when promised parking spots have yet to be designated, others – including the mayor – rejoiced.

From March 1, 2024, rental e-scooters will be banned nationwide, the transport ministry announced on Thursday, citing “disturbances” endured by the community.

Times of Malta headed to the Sliema promenade on Friday morning to see what the people think.

The majority were against the ban or believed that better solutions are available.

“Banning them seems a little bit radical,” a scooter owner and an advocate for the electric vehicles said.

“More cars on the street, that will be the outcome,” another said.

“To banish them, it is too much,” Cynthia Mendoza Alvez said. Tourists will now flock to buses, making the already bad public transport situation even worse, she added.

“Instead of banning them, there should have been a policy to regulate their use,” Toni Appollago said while perched on his bicycle as he left his Sliema home.

“[Scooters are] a good alternative to cars. Less polluting, occupying less space, easier to use and less dangerous than cars,” he said, as all the problems people face with e-scooters can be solved through policies.

Designated parking spots and better regulations would have possibly seen the transport alternative work in tandem with the current system, he said, echoing the thoughts of many others.

“More cars on the street, that will be the outcome,” Appollago said, as tourists will now choose to use taxis, rent cars or attempt to catch already-bursting busses rather than taking a quick ride on a scooter.

Riding along the Sliema front on a rental scooter, Italian Pietro Di Palo said that he uses the rental scooters whenever he is on the island for business.

“I will buy one for myself,” he said after learning about the news.

The ban only covers rental scooters as people can still purchase private e-scooters and use them to travel around the island.

Incentives will also be introduced to push for people to buy their own, promoting “responsible e-kick scooter usage and reduce inconvenience,” the transport ministry said in a statement.

“It is a good form of transport,” Ellie Gieni said, highlighting that scooters help ease the high levels of congestion the island sees year round, especially in summer.

When it comes to parking the rental scooters, solutions could have been found, French national Marem said.

Having seen discarded scooters in the oddest of places, such as on the beach and even in trees, Marem, who uses e-scooters (mainly his own) regularly, said banning scooters seemed a little bit “radical”.

'Paris did it'

But others were happy to hear that rental e-scooters will finally be banned citing issues ranging from dangerous driving on both pavements and roads to haphazard parking at all hours of the day.

“As a pedestrian, I do find it quite difficult walking along the front,” Kenneth Chappell, a Scottish man who visits Malta every year said.

Chappell said the “new phenomenon” has made it harder for him to enjoy the Sliema front ever since they were introduced.

“I guess Malta should ban them if there are a lot of tourists promenading along the front.”

“They block pavements, garages, and Paris did it,” Jeremy Gambin said, clarifying that does not mean we need to follow another country’s lead when seeking solutions.

Although Gambin admitted that the ban could lead to more cars on the road, he said people used the scooters dangerously due to a lack of enforcement.

“There is no space for them to be running around in the middle of the street,” Clarice Cassar, a Birkirkara resident on a morning walk said.

Some noted instances where rental scooters have led to accidents on the road and pavement, while others said that e-scooters often look dangerous as they zoom by pedestrians.

There have been no fatal accidents involving e-scooters since they landed on the island.

In June of last year, a 27-year-old Turkish woman was hospitalised with serious injuries after falling off one.

Noting that enforcement and fines have been on the rise, the public are still facing disturbances caused by the rented scooters, the ministry said. Instead, the extra enforcement will now be used for road safety efforts.

Police and LESA issued 10,943 fines to e-scooter riders so far this year, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri told parliament this week. Sources told Times of Malta that most are contested.

Texts of ‘joy’

One of those welcoming the ban was Sliema Mayor John Pillow who said residents were sending messages expressing their “joy” only minutes after the news was reported.

There are an estimated 5,000 rental scooters in Malta. The micro-mobility system is particularly popular among tourists and foreign workers living in Sliema and St Julian’s.

“The problem was how they were introduced as, from the very beginning, there was a complete lack of rules and regulations,” he said.

While not against e-scooters, Pillow said that the mobility option could be used more responsibly when owned rather than rented, noting that he often uses them to get around his locality.

The rental e-scooters is the latest alternative transport solution to hit the brakes in the country.

Bicycle-sharing company Nextbike quit Malta last year citing competition from other micro-mobility solutions and a lack of infrastructure. 

Electric car-sharing service Go-To also closed down, saying there was a "lack of user uptake".