Reducing the speed limit for scooters is being discussed in Moscow

In Moscow, a reduction in the speed limit for users of personal mobility devices (SIM) from 25 km/h to 20 km/h and the introduction of a rider identification system are being discussed. Against the backdrop of a continuing increase in accidents involving electric scooters, the capital’s authorities are thinking about new measures to control this type of transport. Some Moscow City Duma deputies propose to go beyond this and temporarily ban kick-sharing in the capital.

Measures to reduce accidents involving personal mobility devices were discussed yesterday at a round table in the Moscow City Duma. The government of the Russian Federation, as Kommersant told earlier, within the framework of the approved “road map” is thinking about the need for new fines for electric scooters, tightening traffic rules, mandatory registration of devices, etc. Some issues should be worked out “as a priority,” the head of the Moscow City Duma believes Alexey Shaposhnikov, in connection with which the capital’s parliament intends to appeal to the White House.

Let us recall that Moscow has the most representative fleet of kick-sharing SIM cards in the country (more than 60 thousand units) and, as a result, the highest accident rate with this type of transport: over ten months, 805 accidents occurred in the city, more than 200 of them in October. 72% of all accidents occur on rental electric scooters: 32% – on Yandex devices, 30% – Urent, 24% – Whoosh, 14% – other operators, follows from the presentation of the capital’s data center presented in the Moscow City Duma.

The traffic rules need to include a ban on the use of phones while driving when riding an electric scooter, says Mr. Shaposhnikov. In addition, SIM users should only be allowed to enter the roadway if they are 18 years old and have a category M license (moped). For children under 16 years of age, the speed limit should be 15 km/h. These and other ideas, as follows from the explanations of the speaker of the Moscow City Duma, have already been included in parliamentary proposals.

Restrictions in operator contracts regarding the age limit (18 years) are in fact not respected, said Evgeniy Loginovsky, deputy head of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate for Moscow: many parents register accounts for themselves and then let their children use them.

In August, Mr. Loginovsky said, a case was recorded when a seven-year-old child was driving a rental SIM. The traffic police believes that next season it is necessary to launch a personal identification system on rental SIM cards. The agency also calls for a speed limit from 25 km/h to 20 km/h.

The head of the Moscow Department of Transport sharing projects, Polina Stasiuk, recalled in this regard the 250 “slow” SIM zones introduced in the city with a speed limit of 5–15 km/h. In 2024, another 100 will appear, Ms. Stasiuk promises. Deputy head of the data center Magomed Kolgaev spoke about 512 km of bicycle lanes and bicycle paths (plus 39 km compared to last year) and about the system for clearing overloaded SIM parking lots: if the estimated parking capacity is exceeded, a special service takes away the scooters. This practice will continue.

The head of the Directorate of Photo and Video Recording of the Data Center Vladimir Karpov announced plans to expand the pilot for recording violations with cameras. Ten devices already detect two people riding an electric scooter, refusing to let a pedestrian pass, crossing a zebra crossing without dismounting and other violations. Since the data center knows where all the sharing scooters are located at a specific moment in time (by ID), using cameras it is easy to find out which device was moving in violation, explained Magomed Kolgaev. The relevant information is transmitted to the operator, who fines the user for violating the terms of the contract.

But this is a temporary scheme, the data center explained, a full-fledged system for identifying users is needed.

It is government agencies, not operators, who should identify and fine violators, emphasized Alexey Shaposhnikov.

Deputy Chairman of the Moscow City Duma Stepan Orlov supported the idea of ​​the traffic police to reduce the speed limit to 20 km/h. He also proposed adopting a resolution of the Moscow government with traffic rules on the territory of squares, parks, sports complexes and hospitals, where SIM users are not formally obliged to comply with traffic rules.

“The real problem is created by rental scooters,” said Lyudmila Alekseeva, who spoke at the Moscow City Duma, who was announced as a representative of the Community of Private SIM Users (“Kommersant” did not find information about this organization). “Why are there no rear-view mirrors in kick-sharing SIMs?” Why not make tariffs based on distance instead of per minute? Then people wouldn’t be in a hurry and get into accidents.”

Deputy Dmitry Loktev (KPRF) believes that operators should be fined for “piling up” electric scooters in parking lots. He also said that companies poorly monitor the technical condition of the SIM; a number of devices have poor brakes. Deputy Elena Yanchuk (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) believes that kick-sharing in Moscow should be banned until the deployment of infrastructure capable of accommodating the entire 60,000-strong fleet of electric scooters. According to the forecasts of the Department of Transport (figures from the presentation of Polina Stasiuk), next year the fleet of SIM rental cars will remain the same (although last year it grew one and a half times), but the number of trips will increase from 60 million to 82 million per season (from 220 thousand to 350 thousand per day).

Ivan Buranov