E-scooters face seizure of up to 90 days under new decree

Local road safetyTop Newstransport E-scooters face seizure of up to 90 days under new decree E Scooters Face Seizure Of Up To 90 Days Under New Decree Relevant News E-scooters face seizure of up to 90 days under new decree 27 August 2026 Woman, 45, freed after “military court” fines her €273 in occupied north 27 August 2026 Alkistis Protopsalti and Nikos Portokaloglou to perform in Paphos this September 27 August 2026 Newsroom 27 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber A draft decree will allow police and authorised municipal traffic wardens to confiscate electric scooters for between 30 and 90 days for specific violations, Public Works Department Executive Engineer Charis Christodoulou said on Thursday, as Nicosia Municipality moves to create more than 100 scooter parking points and expand its 30km/h zones. Christodoulou said a draft of the decree has been prepared, with the Public Works Department launching a public consultation through the eDiavoulevsi platform that will run until September 26, allowing interested parties to submit comments. Once the consultation concludes, the text will be sent to the Law Office for the required legislative review, he added. Under the draft rules, officers who identify one of three specific violations will be able to confiscate the device in addition to issuing a fine. The violations cover using a device in an unauthorised area, use by a person under 17, and using a device capable of exceeding 25km/h, the legal speed limit. The confiscation period will range from 30 to 90 days. Christodoulou said that after 30 days, owners will be able to pay the fine, under set conditions, and reclaim their device, but that a device may remain confiscated until court proceedings if the fine is not paid. Road safety risks Christodoulou said electric scooters present specific road safety shortcomings that users, and particularly parents of minors, need to bear in mind. He said the devices require riders to maintain their own balance, with speed an aggravating factor for inexperienced users, while the small profile of scooters and riders makes them harder for other road users to spot. “At night, it’s even harder to spot them,” he said, adding that scooter lights sit much lower than those on cars. He also said small wheels increase risk on uneven road surfaces, such as potholes. Christodoulou said personal mobility devices are legally permitted only in areas with a speed limit of up to 30km/h and on cycling infrastructure, noting that most urban roads have a 50km/h limit, which restricts where scooters can legally operate. He referred to the recent increase in the permitted age to 17 and urged parents to take supervisory measures. “Our law is particularly strict,” he said, adding that the framework was designed to prioritise road safety over unchecked mobility. On infrastructure, Christodoulou said the department has cycling infrastructure projects under construction across Cyprus, and highlighted the importance of municipalities creating more 30km/h zones. He said the Ministry of Transport has approved areas and set up a grant process for municipalities to create such zones, noting that this is considerably easier to implement than building cycling infrastructure. Nicosia’s measures Nicosia Mayor Charalambos Prountzos said the municipality is taking specific steps toward safer, better-organised scooter use. In the new licensing round, he said, over 100 scooter parking points have been designated following talks with rental companies, to prevent scooters being left scattered across the city and blocking pedestrians; construction of these points will begin shortly, he added. On rental scooters, Prountzos said these are licensed by the municipality and can only operate on authorised routes, with an automatic shutdown system activating if they leave those routes. However, he said the municipality has identified cases of GPS systems being disabled, and that new licences will include automatic revocation of a rental company’s licence if one of its scooters is found on an unauthorised route. Prountzos also backed a ban on importing private scooters capable of exceeding the legal maximum speed, and said rules on helmets and other protective measures could be introduced. He said micromobility can play an important role in cities despite the need for strict safety rules. “Micromobility is necessary in our cities,” he said, noting it can help reduce car use, particularly in Nicosia, home to around 50,000 students. He added that scooter use must take place safely for both riders and other drivers and pedestrians, referring to what he called the “tragic” accidents of recent months. Prountzos said the municipality is also further expanding its 30km/h zones, particularly in residential neighbourhoods, noting several such zones allowing shared use by conventional vehicles and micromobility devices have already been tendered. He said the municipality has carried out a dedicated study, mapping schools, parks and other points of interest through a GIS system, to prioritise which routes are included in the 30km/h zones. Implementing the new framework will require cooperation between the Ministry of Transport, local authorities and police, Prountzos said, adding that the municipality needs the necessary legal tools to remove scooters from public spaces, and that dedicated parking areas will make enforcement easier and reduce what he called the “image of disorder” scooters currently present. Prountzos said recent tragic incidents have caused concern, while stressing the importance of micromobility for cities. “We believe that when used properly, these means of transport are a very important element of sustainable urban mobility,” he said. 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