Paris: Parisians will be asked to vote to decide the fate of the French capital’s controversial electric rental scooters, mayor Anne Hidalgo said.

Authorities are considering banning the vehicles, which arrived in 2018 but have been criticised as dangerous.

The issue is “extremely divisive”, Ms Hidalgo told Le Parisien. Parisians, she said, will be invited to have their say in a referendum on April 2 by answering a simple question: “Should we maintain e-scooter sharing services in Paris?”

The socialist mayor is a vocal opponent of the rental scooters, which she says have caused too many accidents.

“In a consultation I conducted with Parisians last year, this was a very divisive subject. It causes arguments. My idea would be for it to end,” she said.

“But I will respect the vote of the Parisians, even if it is contrary to what I would like.”

Critics say users often defy bans on riding on pavements or park without consideration, while some abandon the scooters in parks or even toss them into the River Seine. In September, the capital threatened the three operators with non-renewal of their licences, which expire in March, if they failed to limit reckless riding and other “misuses”.

Operators came up with a number of suggested improvements, including licence plates that would enable easier tracking of riders running a red light or travelling in pairs on the single-person vehicles - both common violations.