Lack of local government regulations has made it impossible for people to ride electric kick scooters (e-scooters), despite them being legal vehicles, a manufacturer said yesterday.
An amendment to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例) in 2022 states that e-scooters — a two-wheeled vehicle that combines elements of a bicycle and a scooter with an electric motor in one or two of the wheels — are personal mobility devices and subject to the same regulations as other slow-moving vehicles.
A personal mobility device is defined as a self-balancing vehicle designed to carry one person and is powered mainly by electricity, with a maximum speed of 25kph.
Photo: CNA
However, the act also requires local governments to stipulate road rules for e-scooters, such as designating zones for riding them and speed limits, but so far no local government has done so.
A commuter surnamed Yang (楊) said he bought an e-scooter because he can carry it to the MRT and public buses, but had to sell it because local governments would never allow these e-scooters on the roads.
Although local governments have the right to decide whether e-scooter riders are allowed on roads, they have failed to issue clear guidance on their use, Rider Techjoy Co president Cheng Kai-fu (鄭凱夫) said.
Local governments are not eager to stipulate such regulations either, he added.
“It is a gray area on whether electric kick scooters are legal, but people cannot ride them on roads,” he said.
Compared with 2018 and 2019, sales of e-scooters are down 30 percent to 3,000 to 4,500 per year due to market saturation, fierce competition among manufacturers and lack of regulations, Cheng said.
However, the demand for electric kick scooters persists despite the absence of regulations, he said, adding that most users prefer to buy ones that can be operated at 25kph.
Although most local electric scooter manufacturers have adopted the UL2272 safety standard — the strictest safety standard widely accepted by the international community — Taiwan does not have an inspection agency to certify their safety, Cheng said.
Taipei Department of Transportation’s Transportation Management Section head Chu Cheng-tso (朱宸佐) said the city cannot discuss any proposal of allowing e-scooters on the roads without first implementing safety regulations for the devices.
“Since 2021, we have asked that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications propose standards to regulate electric kick scooters. We have yet to receive a clear reply,” Chu said.
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