The coronavirus pandemic, making an impact in near all aspects of life, has begun to leave its mark on the electric mobility revolution in cities around the world.

Electric scooters and electric bicycles for hire with an app have barely just established themselves as a mode of transport in many cities, and yet they are already disappearing again over fears they may accelerate the spread of the virus.

The use of electric bikes from Uber's Jump service, which can be found in cities across Europe, North and South America and Australia, has temporarily been suspended in certain cities, the mobility company has announced.

Meanwhile electric scooter providers Lime and Bird are also halting services in parts of their global network until further notice, they announced on Wednesday.

"Loving cities means protecting them too," Lime said in a statement. "For now, we're pausing Lime service to help people stay put and stay safe."

Users of Voi's electric scooters have been urged to wear gloves and refrain from handshakes when greeting fellow riders in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Voi says it will continue operations, but will adjust its fleets. According to a spokesperson, its Call a Bike service will also remain available.

While there are still concerns about taxi drivers and potential infections in Uber's "pool" journeys, the ride-hailing company's taxi services appear not to be affected in European cities.

Lyft and Uber are meanwhile both calling on drivers and riders to disinfect their cars and keep them clean.

Transport industries are among those to be severely hit by the rapid spread of the coronavirus, which has halted production at factories, help up supply chains and led to some of the world's biggest auto industry events being cancelled.

Fears that taxi drivers would be particularly at risk of infection rose after a driver in Taiwan became the first in the country to die of the virus in mid-February, despite having no history of overseas travel.

Lyft has said it would provide funds to any driver confirmed to have the Covid-19 lung disease caused by the virus, while Uber is offering payment to cover the 14 days of required quarantine for individuals with the virus, according to US media.

 - dpa