On July 17, the Cabinet of Ministers issued a Resolution approving amendments aimed at “ensuring traffic safety on highways.” The document makes changes to the Traffic Rules, including the regulation of the movement of scooters, electric scooters and other personal mobility devices (PMD).

The document introduced a new concept of a scooter into the PPD - this is a vehicle with a design speed above 25 km/h, but not more than 50 km/h, with an electric motor with a rated (installed) power of more than 0.25 kW and less than 4 kW, with two or three (four wheels).

Scooters include tricycles and quadricycles with the same specification, as well as other mechanical devices adapted for movement on the roadway. In 2016, scooters were considered equal to motorcycles, and then they were differentiated again. Their drivers must put on motorcycle helmets before driving.

Initially, the concept did not include a speed limit of up to 50 km/h, but indicated an engine displacement of more than 25 cubic centimeters (if it was an internal combustion engine).

While, the concept of electric motorcycles has been added - this is a vehicle with a design speed of 50 km/h and above, with an electric motor with a rated (installed) power of more than 4 kW, with two or three (four wheels), with or without a trailer.

Personal mobility devices mean vehicles with one or more wheels (rollers) with an engine or engines (electric scooters, electric skateboards, Segways, unicycles, unicycles and PMDilar vehicles) intended for the individual movement of people.

The Resolution has banned:

• driving a PMD for persons under 14 years of age (except for operation in closed areas
• riding with a passenger (that is, PMDs and bicycles must carry one person, with the exception of bicycles with child seats for children under 7 years old);
• driving a PMD under the influence of alcohol, drugs, their analogues, psychotropic or potent substances, in a state of fatigue and illness that threaten road safety;
• driving on a roadway, including pedestrian crossings (except for driving in bicycle lanes).
• towing one or more PMDs;
• driving a PMD in the event of a malfunction of the brake system, steering, sound signal, front and rear headlights or lights that do not work at night or in situations with limited visibility;
• moving on a PMD without holding the steering wheel or holding it with one hand (with the exception of hand gestures during maneuvers);
• using a mobile phone while driving.

A personal mobility device must be equipped with a headlight or flashlight, a brake, a horn, and white reflectors on the front, red or orange reflectors on the sides, and red reflectors on the rear.

Persons driving electric scooters and other simulators must strictly observe traffic rules while driving, move on sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, pedestrian and bicycle paths at a speed of no more than 10 km/h (the original project proposed up to 6 km/h), and in the absence all of the above - at a speed of no more than 20 km/h on the right side of the roadway, give way to other traffic participants when leaving a residential area and strictly follow the direction of movement of other vehicles, the document says.