Go Sharing launches 500 electric motor scooters in Brussels

There is a new player in the motor scooter sharing scheme: Go Sharing has just released 500 electric motor scooters on the streets of Brussels. This doubles the number of motor scooters available in the capital.

Go Sharing will has stationed scooters in Brussels City and the bordering municipalities. “These 500 scooters will ensure that enough vehicles are spread over a large enough area that no one will have to walk far to find one,” Yessin Aattache of Go Sharing said.

The company, which also operates in Antwerp, is present in about 30 cities in Germany, Belgium, Turkey, Austria and the Netherlands, where it is based. The scooters can be dropped off anywhere, though Go Sharing is fairly strict about where they can be parked. This should prevent problems such as are seen with the electric kick scooters.

Speaking of kick scooters, they are also in the news today. Following the announcement that the Brussels parliament was ready with a proposal to tighten up legislation governing e-scooter schemes, federal MP Joris Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) has drafted a proposal to ban anyone under the age of 16 from using electric kick scooters.

400 injuries

Vandenbroucke’s proposal would bring e-scooter legislation in line with that of electric bicycles: Any electric vehicle with more than 250W can be used only by people 16 and over. “If it applies to bicycles, it should apply to scooters as well,” said Vandenbroucke.

His proposal also includes banning all self-propelling vehicles from using pavements, to prevent conflicts with pedestrians. Any potential legislation would include both privately owned and share-scheme vehicles, but makes an exception for electric wheelchairs. Unlike the recent proposal drawn up by the Brussels parliament, this proposal would apply to the entire country.

Nationwide last year, more than 400 people required medical attention following an accident on a scooter, according to the Vias mobility institute. One-quarter of them were seriously injured, and one women died. In 2019, two people died using electric scooters. Most of the accidents have nothing to do with other vehicular traffic but are the result of falls.