Guidelines for Roller Play
In the heart of Germany, Dresden has rolled out a new transportation option – electric micro-vehicles, including e-scooters – on its roads since June 15th. This move is part of an effort to reduce car traffic in the city.
The use of e-scooters is regulated by the federal ministry of transport's ordinance on electric micro-vehicles. However, it's important to note that a permit for bicycle traffic does not automatically grant permission for e-scooters. Regulatory signs that exempt bicycle traffic with the additional sign "Bicycle traffic allowed" can only be used by e-scooters if there's an additional sign indicating "Electric micro-vehicles allowed" (§ 12 eKVGO).
Dresden has set a structured cap on both the number of providers and fleet sizes per area to regulate e-scooter operations in the city core and its extensions. Up to three e-scooter providers are allowed to operate in the inner city, city center, and expanded city center. The number limitations for e-scooters in these areas are as follows: up to 300 e-scooters in the inner city, up to 600 in the broader city center, and the expansion to the extended city center zone is included within these provider licenses.
Each ride costs 20 cents per minute, and the cost of unlocking a scooter in Dresden's New Town currently costs one euro. Parking a bicycle anywhere on the sidewalk is allowed, according to Schmidt-Lamontain, but parking e-scooters in red zones may result in a fine or account suspension. There are seven red zones where scooters should not be parked, mainly tourist areas in the old town and around the Golden Rider.
LimeBike and VOI have already deployed e-scooters in Dresden, with LimeBike operating around 200 scooters and VOI preparing for launch. Using the scooters requires installing an app on a smartphone, which marks red zones as no-parking zones.
The city of Dresden has signed cooperation agreements with LimeBike Germany GmbH and VOI Technology GmbH for e-scooter provision. LimeBike and VOI promise to monitor and ensure proper parking of their scooters.
It's worth noting that the rental contract for Lime’s e-scooter rental license in Dresden expired at the end of July 2025, and the rental contract was awarded to another provider, reflecting regulatory limits on the number of providers and vehicles allowed in the city.
VOI's system in Dresden has not yet disclosed prices, but in Berlin, the current minute rate is 15 cents. Repeated parking in red zones may result in a fine or account suspension. No administrative recourse is available for incorrectly parked e-scooters.
Unknown persons have hung three e-scooters at the Rothenburg street near the social corner, adding an unexpected twist to Dresden's new transportation landscape.
[1] Source: City of Dresden's press release on e-scooters
- The city of Dresden has initiated a partnership with LimeBike Germany GmbH and VOI Technology GmbH, not just for e-scooter provision, but also to ensure proper parking of their smart-home devices, which are among the various gadgets falling under the technology umbrella.
- Aside from electric micro-vehicles like e-scooters and bicycles, smart-home devices like the app on a smartphone are essential for using the transportation services in Dresden, as they mark red zones as no-parking zones.
