St. Petersburg deputies ask Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to tighten requirements for the use of electric scooters
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St. Petersburg deputies appeal to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin with a request to make adjustments to the Road Traffic Rules (TRAF), tightening the requirements for the use of electric scooters. Parliamentarians are asking to ban the movement of scooters on sidewalks, minors, and people “in a state of passion.” Services that provide scooters for rent warn that prohibitive measures could negatively affect business.
The draft appeal to the prime minister at a meeting of the St. Petersburg parliament was presented by the head of the commission on transport and development of transport infrastructure of the Legislative Assembly, Alexey Tsivilev (United Russia). According to the latest amendments to the traffic rules, the speed of electric scooters, electric skateboards, unicycles, hoverboards, Segways and other personal mobility devices (IM) is limited to 25 km/h, traveling together is prohibited, and a number of other restrictions apply, which Kommersant spoke about in detail. . However, St. Petersburg deputies consider these measures insufficient to ensure the safety of citizens. They involved representatives of the State Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg in the development of additional regulatory measures.
And about. Head of the regional department of the Investigative Committee Oleg Bobkov, speaking in parliament, emphasized that the number of accidents involving SIM has increased significantly since the beginning of 2023. According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, 1,043 accidents occurred in the first half of the year – 2.8 times more than in the same period a year earlier. 12 people died in them, including one minor. 1,082 people were injured, including 432 citizens under the age of 16. According to Smolny, city kick-sharing operators received over 1.5 million warnings for violating the rules for using electric scooters. More than 2 thousand fines were issued and more than 7 thousand accounts were blocked.
In St. Petersburg, there are about 37 thousand scooters owned by kick-sharing companies. Representatives of the governor’s traffic safety commission estimate the park at 40–50 thousand. Earlier, representatives of this commission noted that the movement of pedestrians would be virtually paralyzed if the park was replenished to 70 thousand. In St. Petersburg, we note that there is an agreement on the use of SIM between the city authorities and rental services (Whoosh, Yurent, Yandex Go and BusyFly) . The agreement states the upper speed limit for electric scooters is 20 km/h, and in some areas, in particular Nevsky Prospect and Palace Square, the limit is 15 km/h.
In their appeal to the prime minister, regional deputies insist on introducing new amendments to the traffic rules. Thus, it is planned to prohibit minors from riding electric scooters outside designated areas; prohibit movement under the influence of alcohol and drugs, “in a state of passion” and “under the influence of medications that impair reactions and attention, jeopardizing traffic safety.” The document also speaks of the need to limit the ability to ride a SIM on sidewalks, “restricting the possibility of moving on these vehicles only within the boundaries of specially equipped zones (sites), on bicycle paths and along the road network.” The draft resolution was supported by 44 deputies; the text of the appeal received no objections.
Whoosh stated to Kommersant that they positively perceive any steps aimed at creating modern legal regulation in the field of kick-sharing, but made a number of comments. “We believe that banning SIM on sidewalks will destroy the transport model and increase the number of road accidents. Most of the negative incidents with SIM occur on the roadway,” expressed opinions in Whoosh. The Citymobil company, which shares Yurent scooters, suggested that prohibitive measures will most likely lead to an increase in prices for rental services. “The development of micromobility really requires regulation. However, this may have a negative impact on business,” concludes Dmitry Kovalenko, managing director of Citymobil and Taxovichkof. Yandex and BusyFly did not respond to Kommersant’s request.
The St. Petersburg Transport Committee, commenting on the initiative of the deputies, draws attention to the fact that the agreement signed in 2021 with kick-sharing companies has already made it possible to regulate the rules for the use of electric scooters without approving their legal status.
How regional authorities restrict SIM movement
In March 2023, the authorities of Ulan-Ude banned the use of electric scooters in city parks, on the territory of large hospitals and the ethnographic museum. Last year, in the capital of Buryatia, speed limit zones of up to 15 km/h were introduced on central streets with high pedestrian traffic.
In April, kick-sharing operators entered into an agreement with the mayor’s office Nizhny Novgorod an agreement banning rides on electric scooters in the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin and parks. On Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street the speed limit is 10 km/h, on other streets and embankments – 15 km/h.
City Hall in May Chelyabinsk agreed with electric scooter rental services to limit movement along Kirovka, a pedestrian street in the city center.
October 2 administration Saratov published a list of central streets of the city where signs prohibiting SIM traffic will be installed. Earlier, representatives of the prosecutor’s office made a corresponding proposal.
October 18 deputies of the City Duma Ekaterinburg At the commission on life safety of the population, they approved the proposal of the traffic police to limit the movement of SIM in the central part of Yekaterinburg, on alleys and sidewalks less than two meters wide.
October 25 administration Perm launched a survey on social networks about the attitude of city residents towards the operation of electric scooter rental services. Residents can choose one of three scenarios: strengthen control over compliance with landscaping rules and fine kick-sharing operators for placing scooters in the wrong places; limit the areas in which electric scooters are allowed; completely ban kicksharing.
Vasily Alekseev, St. Petersburg; Nikita Markelov, Saratov; Andrey Repin, Nizhny Novgorod; Vlad Nikiforov, Irkutsk; Dmitry Astakhov, Perm; Arthur Yakushko, Chelyabinsk
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