Brussels has announced it will ban shared e-scooters from January 1st 2027.
“The authorisation granted to the current operators expires at the end of 2026,” announced Mobility Minister Elke van Den Brandt and Minister-President Boris Dilliès. “From this date, new operators will no longer be able to rent out shared scooters.”
Brussels’ current operators, Bolt and Dott, will see their licences expire at the end of next year with no replacement permits issued.
The move comes as a major blow to the industry from a city that was among the first in Europe to regulate free-floating e-scooters back in 2019. However, for those that have been following the government’s recent stance on shared e-scooters, it may not come as a complete surprise.
In an interview with Zag Daily, Minister Van Den Brandt revealed that the Brussels government was already considering a ban last year, following the lead of cities like Paris and Madrid which have taken that step.
“While we’re not in principle against it, there are issues with the way e-scooters – or more commonly ‘e-steps’ in Brussels – are organised and the injuries associated with them,” Van den Brandt told Zag.
“We’ve tried to put measures in place to make them safer but the number of accidents – and accidents involving head injuries – still concerns me. If we don’t see a shift in the number of injuries then we will put forward the question of if we even allow these vehicles onto our streets.”
Safety as the key concern
Safety is cited as the reason for the decision.
Last year, the Brussels-Capital Region recorded 666 users injured on e-scooters, up 26% compared to 2024.
However, those findings stand in contrast with broader European figures. Data from the industry coalition Micro-Mobility for Europe found that shared micromobility injuries have fallen for the fifth year in a row in Europe.
While shared e-scooter kilometres travelled increased by 13.9% in 2025, injuries per million kilometres fell by 1.1%. Over the longer term, injury risk per million kilometres for shared e-scooters has fallen by 19.9% since 2021.
The Brussels government also said the ban on shared e-scooters is “additional support for judicial authorities and police services in their fight against crime”.
Brussels public prosecutor Julien Moinil reported that shared e-scooters were involved in 25 shootings in the capital last year.
While shared e-scooters are being phased out, the city has reaffirmed its support for shared bikes with the Villo! bike share scheme extended to 2028.
The announcement caps a difficult week for the European micromobility sector. Barcelona recently revealed plans to remove all privately operated shared e-bike services from next year, adding to growing regulatory pressure across several major European cities.
