Safety rules for e-kickscooters are not being properly implemented by the companies behind the popular transport alternative, while users appear to be finding ways of circumventing them.

Protests against e-kickscooter use and abuse have been common, with president emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca calling for an adequate regulatory framework that is properly enforced.

She bemoaned the lack of sustained enforcement which, she noted, seemed “to fuel users’ disrespect towards pedestrians and the rules of the road”.

What do e-scooter rules state?

According to the subsidiary legislation for micromobility, e-scooter providers are meant to ensure users are over 16 years of age, hold the appropriate licence, and use technology that stops them from being used on arterial or distributor roads, as well as underpasses and tunnels. 

E-kickscooters should be geo-fenced, ensuring they are not driven in roads, road sections and zones where their use is prohibited by law.

Operators should offer a customer care contact number which shall be operative,  24 hours a day, for use by all hirers.

What is the problem?

Times of Malta readers have been sending videos and photographs of riders flouting rules, which clearly show operators are not ensuring the age limit of riders.

Users are also seen riding tandem and often also seen using scooters along arterial roads. This indicates that geofencing is not in place to stop them.

A police spokesperson said fines have been issued by the law enforcement agency but they held no data about the number of fines issued for e-scooters or for what offences.

Transport Malta and LESA did not answer questions put to them by the time of publication.

A source, however, said collecting data on breaches involving e-scooters is difficult as fines are only issued against a list of offences that do not specify the type of vehicle used. 

For instance, the source said, if two people are caught riding tandem on an e-kickscooter, the fine issued by wardens is for “overloading of a number of passengers”, which according to land transport driving offences carries a penalty of €11.65.

According to the same source, LESA is unable to distinguish between motor vehicle and scooter offences.

What do operators say? 

Times of Malta contacted the three e-kickscooter operators in the country – Bird, Bolt and Whizascoot – to ask about how they conform to the regulations.

Bolt explained that users create a profile on their mobile app where they need to be at least 18 years old and possess a credit or debit card to pay. However, users say it is easy to insert a different birthdate, and junior debit card details for children aged 6 to 18 are commonly used.

A spokesperson for Seven Group Ltd, operators of Bird, said: “We remain deeply committed to the safety of Malta road users with city-approved age verification technology” but did not answer questions about how this age verification worked.

Children riding tandem on a scooter. Photo: Daniela Peresso

Only Bolt answered questions regarding geofencing, meant to stop scooters being used on dangerous thoroughfares.

“We have created low speed zones and, yes, we have them in Malta too, including speed limits and restricted areas to certain areas,” it said.

Speed restrictions are also a safety feature the operators are obliged to set.

Bolt did not answer further questions about whether geofencing was being used to stop the e-kickscooters from being driven in areas not allowed by the law in Malta, but asked Times of Malta to clarify which areas were prohibited by law.