A 10,000 Hryvnia Fine for Children on Electric Scooters — Will New Rules Be Introduced in Kyiv

The idea to prohibit minors from using electric scooters and to fine their parents 10,000 hryvnias did not receive enough support in Kyiv. Although the issue of safety when using personal electric transport is increasingly becoming a subject of public debate, the corresponding initiative failed to gather the required number of votes for consideration by the Kyiv City Council.

The initiative did not receive the required number of votes

A petition on the official website of the Kyiv City Council calling to ban persons under 18 from using electric scooters and to introduce a fine of 10,000 hryvnias for parents who allow their children to operate them did not gather the necessary number of votes.

The appeal received about 2,500 votes out of the required 6,000.

Ban under 18 and fine for parents: what was proposed

The author of the initiative proposed to prohibit the use of electric scooters by persons under 18 years of age, citing safety concerns.

She also called for the introduction of a 10,000 hryvnia fine for parents who allow their minor children to operate electric scooters.

Additionally, the petition included a proposal to equip bike lanes throughout Kyiv for the safe and free movement of cyclists and adult electric scooter users.

Electric scooters are planned to be regulated at the legislative level

At the same time, the issue of electric scooter use is already at the level of legislative regulation. The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Transport and Infrastructure recommended that parliament adopt government bill No. 3023, which aims to define the legal status of personal light electric transport, including electric scooters.

The document proposes to officially recognize electric scooters as full participants in road traffic and to establish clear rules for their users. The bill was developed in response to the rapid growth in the number of electric scooters in Ukrainian cities and the increase in traffic accidents involving them. The experience of European countries was taken into account during its preparation.

In particular, electric scooter users are planned to be required to travel on bike lanes and bike paths, and in their absence — on the right edge of the roadway or the shoulder, move in the same direction as traffic flow, and use lighting and reflective elements during dark hours and in conditions of poor visibility.

Moreover, the bill provides for a ban on operating electric scooters and other types of personal light electric transport while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, using a mobile phone while driving if held in hand, as well as carrying passengers if not provided for by the vehicle’s design.

After the law is adopted, it is also planned to establish age restrictions for users of personal light electric transport, maximum allowable speed, and liability for violations of the rules.

Meanwhile, European countries are already tightening requirements for users of such transport. In particular, in Poland, children under 13 years old are prohibited from operating electric scooters and other personal transport means on roads. The only exception is movement in residential areas under adult supervision.

Also, persons under 16 years old are required to wear protective helmets when riding bicycles, electric scooters, electric bicycles, and other personal transport means.

The first fine was issued just a few hours after the new rules came into effect. The fine was given to the mother of a 14-year-old teenager who rode an electric scooter without a helmet.

The article in "Judicial and Legal Newspaper" raised the issue of possible introduction of technical control for such transport in Ukraine — including certification during sale or technical inspection during operation. At the same time, the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories notes that in the near future electric transport will not receive the status of full-fledged wheeled vehicles and will not be subject to mandatory classification or certification.

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