In some large cities, the anarchic rise of electric scooters has irritated pedestrians and other motorists.
Also noting that "
regulation is sometimes insufficient
" and that "
due to incivility and accidents, they have made the development of this new mobility sometimes chaotic in the eyes of our fellow citizens
", Clément Beaune presented this Wednesday a national plan “
to better regulate electric scooters
”.
It is the result of “
work in consultation with all the stakeholders
” undertaken several months ago, in the words of the Minister Delegate in charge of Transport.
Minimum age raised, fines multiplied by four, creation of a "
micromobility
" Observatory...
Le Figaro
goes into detail about what the plan announced by Clément Beaune contains, a few days before the vote in Paris, scheduled for Sunday, on maintaining or banning self-service scooters in the capital.
Minimum age raised from 12 to 14
From now on, it will be necessary to be at least 14 years old to use an electric scooter, against 12 years old until then.
"
The young age of drivers and their inexperience are major risk factors
", indeed points out the Ministry of Transport.
Fines increase from 35 to 135 euros
The government has also decided to strengthen the repression against dangerous behavior on scooters.
The fines will thus be increased from 35 to 135 euros for two-person traffic on a machine or for traffic on lanes prohibited for electric scooters.
Scooters soon to be equipped with turn signals
To improve the visibility of scooters on public roads, the deployment of brake lights or indicators on these machines will be generalized, indicates the Ministry of Transport.
Creation of a "National Observatory of Micromobility"
The Ministry of Transport's plan also provides for the creation of a National Micromobility Observatory, which "
will aim to produce knowledge on the use of electric scooters in France, their accident rates and their environmental impact
".
In particular, it will involve “
representatives of micromobility players and communities
”.
A charter of commitments signed by the operators
Self-service scooter operators have also committed to respecting certain rules, by signing a charter.
In particular to improve their policy of mandatory and reinforced verification of the age of users, to automatically restrict the speed of scooters in pedestrian zones or other spaces deemed "sensitive
"
, to prohibit the parking of scooters outside of dedicated spaces , "
thanks to the GPS location of each vehicle
", or even to add a double stand system to "
ensure better stability when parking
".
On the environmental side, they have promised to extend the lifespan of scooters and to deploy vehicles designed for a lifespan of more than 5 years, or to recycle vehicles and batteries in the appropriate channels in France.
Helmet not required
The plan does not provide for the introduction of compulsory helmet wearing.
"
The reflection remains open: for the moment, we have chosen not to impose it but it is strongly recommended and our communication campaigns will repeat it
", said Clément Beaune on Wednesday in an interview with
20 Minutes
.
In the charter of commitments signed by the operators of self-service scooters, there is also a commitment to deploy "
features aimed at encouraging responsible behavior: encouraging the wearing of helmets, combating drunk driving
".
Communication campaigns on rules and risks
To improve prevention, the government will launch communication campaigns, intended to “
raise awareness of the rules of driving electric scooters, recall the prohibitions and the risks involved, particularly in the school environment
”.
