The Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Communications approved a micromobility report on Friday, which would restrict the rental of electric scooters and make it illegal to ride them while intoxicated.
It also proposes a minimum age of 15 to use e-scooters. The government's original proposal did not include a national age restriction. The move follows a recent string of e-scooter accidents involving minors, some of them fatal.
The proposed age limit would apply to the use of both privately owned and rented e-scooters, but not to e-bikes.
The age limit was included in the Constitutional Affairs Committee’s report on the issue.
The government's proposal suggested that municipalities could set their own age limits for e-scooters and other micromobility devices. However, the Constitutional Affairs Committee declared that the regulations should be the same throughout the country.
The Road Safety Council proposed the same minimum age last autumn.
Assuming the law comes into force, renters of e-scooters or other micromobility equipment will have to obtain special permits from each municipality in which they plan to operate.
The legislative amendment is aimed at improving traffic safety and combatting issues such as the careless parking of rented scooters, which has become a problem.
The law will also include a blood alcohol limit for driving light electric vehicles.
If implemented, the law would introduce a 0.05% blood alcohol content limit for driving light electric vehicles and e-bikes, the same as for motorists.
A strong recommendation to wear a helmet will also be extended to electric micro-transport, such as e-scooters.
The matter will next be considered by the plenary session of Parliament.
