Scooter Act enters into force

The long-awaited legal regulations regarding electric scooters for minutes and other personal transport devices (UTO) entered into force on May 20. These provisions are primarily intended to increase the safety of their users, as well as other road users, and to improve order in public space.

There are many changes to the rules of using these city vehicles, and one of the key ones is that users are no longer treated as pedestrians. From now on, they clearly know (or at least they should know) that they can move on the bicycle paths first, and when there are none, they can only enter the road with a speed limit of 30 km/h. However, if both are not possible, they may use the footpaths.

The maximum permitted speed of e-scooters has also been reduced and it is now 20 km/h, and when driving on the pavement, it is to be adjusted to the speed of pedestrians. The local governments of individual cities also introduce their own restrictions to which companies operating in these cities must adapt. 

“Safety is our priority, but I consider the speed limit to 20 km/h to be restrictive. In most European countries, this maximum speed is slightly higher, at 25 km/h. Slower driving on roads with a speed limit of 30 km/h by 10 kilometers compared to other vehicles may pose a threat,” Borys Pawliczak, general director of Dott in Poland, noted.

(WBJ)