Electric Scooters: What will change in relation to the legislation and their use.

The Undersecretary of Transport announced that the ministry has been set up competent committee, which drafted a relevant legislative intervention and described the Commission's work schedule, its composition and the scope of its work.

The following is the content of the position of the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Mr. Giannis Kefalogiannis in Parliament:

"These media are the result of the latest technological development and are indeed environmentally friendly. We as a government have repeatedly said that the issue of e-mobility and sustainable urban mobility is our top priority and it is certainly one of the issues we want to address.

First of all, let me tell you that our Ministry, as well as the Ministry of Civil Protection, has not yet issued any document from which the possibility of free movement of these vehicles in places or on roads used for public traffic of vehicles , pedestrians and animals.

Nevertheless, because we are talking about a phenomenon that no European country has faced because all hexapine were caught due to technological development and of course there is a gap, both at EU level and in the Member States. However, as a ministry we have already taken some initiatives.

The services of the ministry are already cooperating with co-responsible services and with the assistance of the European Union working groups in a scientific and rational way, in order to formulate a framework of rules for the circulation of these vehicles.

And of course, the possibility of coexistence of all these small vehicles is considered, it is not only the skates, they are a series of vehicles, such as the roller skates or skateboards or more generally self-service vehicles and there must be a framework which, if you will first, in order to meet the challenges of the future.

An initiative that has been taken, among other things, and answers your question, is that on the occasion of the 13/6/2019 letter of the Association of Greek Transport Specialists, has already been set up by our ministry Committee to investigate the problems of safe traffic of vehicles, which I note that do not fall within the scope of Regulation 168/2013 and Directives 2007/46 and 2009/48, as for the other vehicles for which type approvals are required.

This committee, within a binding time frame of four (4) months, with the right to extend for another two (2) months, will have a fully deliverable proposal which will fully define the issue of the regulatory framework through legislation. "

During his deuterology, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Giannis Kefalogiannis, announced the composition of the committee. Mr. Kefalogiannis stated:

"Our ministry has taken specific initiatives and you will allow me to tell you that our country is not one, but two steps ahead in this matter, because I have the opportunity to talk to my counterparts from other European countries.

In addition to the officials of the ministry, in this Committee participates the representative of the Institute for Sustainable Mobility and Transmission Networks, representative of the Greek Transport Specialists, expert in micromobility issues from the University of Patras. And these are the regular members. Extraordinary members are representatives of the Ministry of Citizen Protection, there is a representative of KEDE, there is Representative of the Hellenic Institute of Road Research and Training for Road Safety and the Prevention & Reduction of Road Accidents "Panos Mylonas".

The timetable is binding. It is four (4) months with the right for another two (2) months if he has not completed his work. Within the first month, an evaluation and suggestion will be made for any immediate interim measures until the establishment of a final institutional framework, so we are also dealing with temporary cases.

Within two months from the start of the works, the current situation will be investigated and evaluated, both within Greece and in the other EU member states and the European Economic Area. And also the register of the relevant vehicles and the categorization and we need to anticipate future types of vehicles, because technology is running.

A second deliverable is the collection and evaluation of proposals by the bodies and services involved. And within four (4) months, a regulatory framework will be drafted and proposed, a legislative intervention, which will state:

· The technical characteristics of these vehicles

· The possibility of identifying them, the places and the ways of their use

· Any additional requirements for their use, such as e.g. whether they will need a helmet or a license to drive them

In addition, there will be a draft and a suggestion regulatory framework concerning market surveillance of these vehicles and accessories, because we are not just talking about mobility.

We need to look at the market, the standards and the components, as well as any development processes related to the safety of these products.

So you realize that there is a specific timetable on the part of the government, binding, which within four (4) months with the right of renewal possibly for another two (2) months we will be fully prepared to make a regulatory framework regarding both the purchase and the safety of micro-vehicles, as well as the rules to be laid down for the movement of such vehicles. "

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