Greece's government unveiled draft legislation Friday banning anyone under 17 from riding e-scooters, making insurance compulsory for users and sharply increasing fines, following a series of severe and sometimes fatal accidents involving children on the vehicles.
Deputy Transport Minister Giorgos Kotsiras said urgent action was needed to introduce a stricter, more effective framework for a mode of transport that has become commonplace on Greek streets. "Our intention is clear," he said. "To boost road safety, reduce the number of accidents and protect human life, showing particular concern for children."
Under the proposed law, riders under 17 would be barred from using e-scooters on public roads, with an exception for people with disabilities, on pain of a 150-euro fine. The fine for riding an e-scooter on roads with speed limits above 50 kilometres an hour would rise from 30 to 350 euros. Riders would also be required to carry identification and proof of insurance, with uninsured riders facing a 250-euro fine.
The bill would also ban selling, renting or otherwise providing e-scooters to anyone under 17, obliging companies to verify the age of prospective users or face fines of up to 1,000 euros.
E-scooter riders in Greece are already required to wear helmets and barred from carrying passengers, rules introduced amid mounting concern over the rapid, largely unregulated growth of micromobility across Greek cities in recent years.