Electric Bikes Targeted as French Protests Ignite Widespread Destruction
French riots lead to the destruction of hundreds of shared electric bikes in Paris. Dott reports significant losses as civil unrest continues nationwide.
POLICY WIRE — Paris, France — Ongoing civil unrest across France has taken a destructive turn for shared-mobility infrastructure, with electric bikes increasingly becoming targets of violence during weekend riots.
In the capital, thick black smoke billowed over piles of incinerated e-bikes throughout the weekend. Witnesses observed protesters tossing the vehicles onto burning cars, marking a sharp escalation in the disorder gripping the city.
The shared-mobility operator Dott confirmed the scale of the damage on Monday. The company reported that approximately 300 of its electric bikes were completely destroyed, while another 120 sustained severe damage during Saturday’s violent demonstrations in Paris.
Dott, which maintains a fleet of 6,000 bikes in the city, noted that the destruction was not limited to the capital. Additional losses were recorded in Bordeaux and Lyon, bringing the total estimated financial impact to €400,000.
Competitor Lime also reported significant losses, stating that roughly 6% of its fleet was impacted by the unrest. These incidents occur as the nation faces some of its most intense civil disturbances in recent years.
The chaotic atmosphere has produced surreal scenes that have since gone viral, including footage of a couple calmly drinking wine and smoking at an outdoor café near the Arc de Triomphe while fires burned in the immediate vicinity. Nearby, other residents were seen jogging through streets choked with smoke.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
