Electric scooters: Lime, Bird and Dott fined €2.6 million in Rome

Rome Penalizes Major E-Scooter Operators for Consumer Service Failures

Poinews.com – The Italian capital has levied its inaugural sanction against firms offering electric scooter and bicycle rentals. American entities Lime and Bird, alongside German operator Dott, face a combined penalty of €2.675 million. This financial punishment was delivered by the Antitrust Authority following an inquiry that began in November 2025. Regulators determined that these businesses “had obstructed access to free rides reserved for subscribers to Rome’s Local Public Transport system” through insufficient organizational frameworks.

Service Disruptions and Arbitrary Practices

Individuals possessing a Metrebus season ticket were entitled to complimentary ride packages. However, these benefits were not consistently delivered due to poor management by the rental companies. Users experienced extended waiting periods to secure their passes alongside a complicated activation procedure. Additionally, the Antitrust Authority identified another problematic behavior: Bird’s tendency to deactivate customer accounts without clear justification.

New Road Regulations for Micromobility

While Italian authorities work to ensure efficient consumer services, the government simultaneously aims to control e-scooter traffic through updated regulations. These measures became effective on May 16, 2026, after being announced by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in April 2026. According to the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI), the updated framework seeks to improve vehicle identification given their proliferation and involvement in numerous collisions. Last year alone recorded 3,895 accidents, causing 23 fatalities and 3,751 injuries.

The primary modifications mandate both insurance coverage and a license plate for each vehicle. Owners receive an identification sticker priced at €8.66, which remains transferable if the scooter is replaced. Failing to display this plate incurs fines between €100 and €400. Existing requirements persist unchanged: operators must be at least 14 years old, wear helmets, utilize turn and brake indicators, and equip their vehicles with front and rear lighting. The maximum speed remains capped at 20 km/h. Carrying passengers or cargo, towing other objects, and operating on non-urban roads are all prohibited activities.

European Response to Rising Accidents

These regulations apply to privately owned scooters as well as shared models from companies like Lime, Bird, and Dott. In Rome, the operating license covers the period from 2023 through 2026 and requires renewal via public tender. Across the continent, nations are revising legislation to address escalating accident rates.

The German Insurance Association reports that insured e-scooters have multiplied more than five times since 2023, now representing 40% of third-party damage claims. Hungary shares similar concerns, having witnessed a 70% surge in injury-causing crashes during 2025 compared to the prior year, prompting preparations to modify its highway code. In July, Germany introduced a legislative proposal that would hold rental providers, including Lime and Bolt, directly accountable for incidents involving their fleet vehicles.

Spain has strengthened its regulations by making helmet use mandatory throughout the country and elevating the minimum rider age to 15. Some nations have adopted more stringent approaches. France eliminated rental e-scooters entirely in 2023 following a public vote. Belgium plans to follow suit by removing these vehicles starting in January 2027 while expanding bicycle and e-bike infrastructure. Currently, Italy’s crackdown focuses exclusively on updated traffic laws rather than targeting rental fleets directly.

Consumer Advocacy and Potential Legal Action

Although the current sanctions against micromobility operators are monetary in nature, the significant negative impact on customers suggests that further legal remedies may emerge. The consumer protection organization Codacons expressed its position clearly:

“We believe that the users involved should be compensated for the damage suffered. For this reason, following the Competition Authority’s decision, Codacons is assessing possible legal action against Bird, Dott and Lime to defend the interests of all Rome Metrebus season-ticket holders, users harmed by the unlawful practices identified by the Antitrust watchdog.”