Vienna restricts e-scooter travel on public transport

Vienna’s public transport operator Wiener Linien will restrict when passengers can take e-scooters on the metro from September 1, ORF reports. Like bicycles, e-scooters will only be allowed outside peak hours.

They may be carried from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and again from 6:30 p.m. until services end. They may be carried all day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Electric vehicles will also be banned from Wiener Linien buses and trams. The rule applies to e-bikes that can be folded as well as e-scooters. Non-electric scooters may still be folded and carried on all vehicles at any time.

Passengers who breach the new conditions of carriage, such as taking an e-scooter onto a tram or a bicycle onto the metro outside the permitted hours, face a 50-euro fine.

Riding a scooter or e-scooter on platforms has already been prohibited and can also result in a fine.

Wiener Linien managing director Alexandra Reinagl said passenger feedback and internal analyses showed that e-scooters, particularly in heavily crowded vehicles, were seen as disruptive and could make it harder for passengers to board and leave. Almost 2.5 million passengers use Wiener Linien services each day, and the restriction is intended to improve passenger movement and comfort.