Denmark: Dozens arrested as Copenhagen police get tough on electric scooters

'Anarchy on the streets' of Europe: cities get tough on e-scooter scourge. Photo / Getty Images

Something is rotten in the streets of Denmark.

Police have had to step in after Copenhagen locals have been complaining of reckless e-scooters tearing up the pavements and endangering pedestrians.

This weekend Danish police went in hot pursuit of the shared-transport menace, with 24 people caught drink-driving scooters and another four under the influence of drugs.

The country's laws were recently updated to account for the hugely popular ride-share scooters which are hired via mobile phone apps.

Intoxicated scooter drivers now face fines of 2000 kr ($450).

Vi har i weekenden lavet en færdselsindsats mod el-løbehjul. 24 personer blev sigtet for spirituskørsel, mens fire personer blev sigtet for at køre på el-løbehjul under påvirkning af euforiserende stoffer. Læs om reglerne for el-løbehjul her: https://t.co/m0bcrSyc1T #politidk https://t.co/wQERcNRcOf

— Københavns Politi (@KobenhavnPoliti) July 8, 2019

"The combination of a motorized vehicle and alcohol is a bad idea in general, but the electric scooter is undoubtedly extra dangerous," Danish Traffic Safety Council project coordinator Liv Kofoed-Jensen told the local.dk.

European tourist hotspots have had a mixed response to the introduction of electric scooters on their pavements.

Last week, the Portuguese capital Lisbon began fining companies 300 euros for each of their scooters found discarded on the pavement.

In Paris, mayor Anne Hidalgo said the city would be cracking down on the electric vehicles following a number of injuries.

Hidalgo said the situation of electric scooters dumped in Paris streets was "not far from anarchy", saying that new rules were needed to cope with the electric vehicles.

20000 of the vehicles - known colloquially as "trottinettes" – have been left on the city's streets since June last year.