The total number of shared-use electric scooters and other micromobility devices in Helsinki decreased by around 12% over the past year. The highest number of scooters and bikes available this summer was around 10,900, whereas in 2025 the number was around 12,400.
There is no single known reason for the decrease in the number of micromobility devices available and their use. The number of electric scooter operators has decreased from four to three. One factor at play may be the new licence conditions for micromobility devices that came into force in Helsinki at the start of 2026.
The conditions concern aspects such as driving speeds, parking, areas of use and quantities. For example, the current maximum number of shared-use electric scooters allowed in the inner city is 4,700.
“The purpose of the licence conditions is to ensure a safe and accessible urban space. Based on the data collected, it appears that the majority of the current conditions have been effective. At the same time, the results indicate that the conditions have not undermined the business opportunities of service providers,” says Transport System Unit Manager Heikki Palomäki.
The benefits of parking restrictions are most evident in the inner city
Three operators have been providing electric scooter services in Helsinki this year: Dott, Voi and Ryde. Additionally, Donkey Republic began operating under a micromobility licence at the end of July, providing its customers with mechanical bicycles.
This year, the parking restriction areas for operators were expanded from the city centre to cover almost the entire inner city. New restriction areas were also introduced in the districts of Puotila, Tapanila and Vuosaari.
In these areas, electric scooters and rental bikes have their own obligatory parking areas, some of which used to be car parking spaces. The new licence conditions have helped to ensure that parked scooters and bikes are now kept in better order.
So far, it appears that the benefits of centralised parking have been the greatest in the inner city and Vuosaari. In Puotila and Tapanila, the use of electric scooters was relatively low, so the parking spaces reserved for them were not utilised very efficiently.
The City has been able to tackle incorrect parking more effectively than before. The amended Act on the Transfer of Vehicles, which came into force in 2025, has made it possible for parking inspectors to remove incorrectly parked electric scooters and bikes more quickly. By the end of August, rental electric scooters and bikes had been removed roughly 3,000 times. The operators are charged between 80 and 100 euros for each removal.
A decision on the licence conditions for 2027 will be issued in the coming months
The City of Helsinki is utilising the data collected on electric scooters in preparing the licence conditions for 2027. The current assessment is that it is not necessary to propose any major systematic changes to the licence conditions. The Urban Environment Committee will decide on the licence conditions to be set for the 2027 season before the end of 2026.
The Act on Transport Services, as amended in 2025, gives municipalities greater powers to regulate the use of electric scooters and other micromobility devices in shared use. Under the Act, the licence conditions must be necessary or indispensable in terms of traffic safety, accessibility or maintenance and cleaning.