Ukraine proposes banning electric scooters for children under 14 and introducing mandatory driver training

A petition has been registered in Ukraine calling for stricter rules for the use of electric scooters and other light electric vehicles. The authors of the initiative propose to introduce age restrictions, mandatory training and certification for users of electric scooters, unicycles, electric bicycles, hoverboards and other vehicles with a power of up to 2000 W.

Petition No. 41/009894-26еп emphasizes that the rapid spread of micro-transport in cities has led to an increase in the number of road accidents both on roads and on sidewalks. As a result of accidents, pedestrians, cyclists and users of electric vehicles themselves are injured, among whom a significant part are minors.

The authors of the appeal note that the current legislation already recognizes electric scooters as vehicles, but still does not establish clear requirements for driver training, age restrictions and control over the use of such vehicles.

In this regard, the Cabinet of Ministers is asked to develop legislative amendments and provide for a number of new rules.

In particular, it is proposed to:

completely prohibit the use of light electric vehicles by children under 14 years of age on public roads, bicycle paths and sidewalks;
allow children under 14 years of age to ride only in yards, residential areas and on specially equipped areas;
introduce mandatory courses on studying traffic rules for persons over 14 years of age;
introduce a certificate of completion of training or a requirement to have a driver’s license to drive electric vehicles;
oblige rental services to verify the age of users through state digital services, in particular the “Diya” application;
establish the responsibility of rental companies in the event of admission to driving children or persons without a certificate;
strengthen control by the National Police and the responsibility of parents for violation of rules by minors.

The authors of the petition are convinced that such changes will help significantly reduce the accident rate, increase the culture of using electric vehicles, and make urban space safer for all road users.