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Thousands of electric scooters have been deployed in Norwegian cities in the last year, and in many places this has led to fights and serious accidents.
In August this year, the Minister of Transport and Communications, Knut Arild Hareide (KrF), told NRK that he wanted stricter rules for electric scooters.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has studied a number of current proposals to toughen the new regulations. The regulations will apply to electric scooters and other small electric vehicles.
Stricter rules on consultation
– We can be very clear in our laws that municipalities have the opportunity to say where electric scooters should be allowed to park, says Hareide.
Photograph: Ragna Kristine Sandholt / NRK
The new regulation will be sent today for consultation.
– We are now presenting a proposal for a regulation that I think makes the use of electric scooters safer. And we must also solve the parking problems. A lot of scooters are thrown away and we can’t have it that way anymore, Transport Minister Knut Arild Hareide tells NRK.
It is a clear goal that the necessary changes in regulations will be in place by spring 2021.
Promille limits, walking speed and age limit are proposed.
There are many proposals that are now being consulted. One of them is a blood alcohol limit of 0.2.
– Because that’s the limit we have for cars. It’s natural to think so, Hareide explains.
There is also a proposal for a possible “walking speed” requirement when passing pedestrians on sidewalks, sidewalks or in pedestrian zones at 6 km / h.
– There may be good reasons to maintain a speed limit of 20 km / h when, for example, driving on the highway. But if you pass others walking on the sidewalk, it is natural for the speed to be much slower, says Hareide.
There have been many serious accidents with electric scooters.
Photo: Gunhild Hjermundrud / NRK
An age limit of 12 years is also proposed to drive an electric scooter and that there can only be one person on each electric scooter.
Here you can see the full list of measures proposed by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration:
Municipalities may be allowed to impose fines
The situation with electric scooters has been more demanding during the summer of this year than in previous years, Hareide told NRK in August. Since then, there have been many more accidents, some even with fatalities.
– There are many accidents that happen after 10 p.m. or after dark. Why don’t you introduce a usage ban after that time?
– I know that there have been some attempts where use has been regulated after 10pm or after midnight. One of the proposals we have is that we propose a blood alcohol limit that we also know will mean that there will be fewer accidents precisely because alcohol consumption and electric scooters have been one of the problems in the afternoon and at night.
– Will there be harsher penalties for rule breakers than at present?
– You must have a consequence if you violate the regulations. We will also consider giving municipalities, among other things, the opportunity to impose fines if regulations are not followed, Hareide says.
Welcome new rules
Anne Våge herself became the victim of risky driving on an electric scooter earlier this fall when she was run over in a field in Bygdø and there in Oslo.
She is happy with the stricter regulatory proposals.
Anne Våge calls for respect for other road users from those who use electric scooters.
Photo: Gunhild Hjermundrud / NRK
– But even more important is to get rid of those who drive with a larger engine than allowed. This applies both to those who trim the engine themselves and to those who import bikes with large engines. And then we have to achieve attitudes where those who use electric scooters respect other road users and take more responsibility when driving, says Anne Våge to NRK.
The Minister of Transport and Communications is concerned that many electric scooter accidents are serious injuries, and electric scooter accidents are a major concern in the work towards achieving the vision of zero serious injuries in traffic.
– Now we send all the proposals for consultation and we want to hear both what the people and the industry think, says Hareide.
– I am glad that we have taken another step forward in the implementation of austerity measures.
I do not agree with the proposal to ban parking on the sidewalks
Christina Moe Gjerde, Norwegian manager of the electric scooter bicycle company Voi, also welcomes stricter rules.
Christina Moe Gjerde, Norwegian manager at Voi, is positive about the proposal to introduce a blood alcohol limit and a stricter control of those who drive electric scooters.
Photo: Sofie Knobel
However, he believes that two of the proposals are steps in the wrong direction: the ban on the use of helmets and the ban on parking on the sidewalks.
– This can stifle people’s enthusiasm for using new modes of transportation.
Moe Gjerde acknowledges that it is a problem that electric scooters are scattered on the streets. She believes the solution is to expand infrastructure and parking spaces, not a ban.
Furthermore, he believes that adults should be allowed to decide for themselves whether they want to wear a helmet or not. But he supports a ban on the use of helmets for children.
Gjerde believes that the key to discussions about parking and security lies in the infrastructure.
– We need more area for parking and more area for bicycle lanes in cities.
The consultation period ends on February 1 of next year.
