Greece's transport ministry is preparing draft legislation that would ban minors from riding electric scooters nationwide and restrict ATV rentals to drivers who have held a standard car licence for at least five years — effectively raising the minimum ATV rental age to around 23, with a possible further threshold of 25 — as authorities move to tighten road safety rules before the peak summer tourist season.
The bill, expected to enter public consultation within weeks, also mandates compulsory insurance for all legally operated e-scooters and requires rental companies to verify that customers hold valid licences and receive helmets before taking possession of motorcycles, scooters or ATVs.
Authorities plan intensified inspections of rental operators through the summer.
ATVs — colloquially known in Greece as "gourounes," or sows — are particularly popular in island tourist destinations where visitors with little experience frequently rent them.
Road safety experts have repeatedly argued the vehicles require handling skills most tourists do not have. The five-year licence requirement directly addresses that gap.
The proposals follow a series of tourist fatalities linked to rental vehicles this season, including a British father killed in an ATV crash on Corfu in May — an incident that accelerated calls for binding national regulation after years of non-binding safety advisories.
The bill also includes a provision allowing motorcyclists who lost their licences for riding above their permitted category to regain driving rights sooner if they obtain the appropriate upgraded licence.