The National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) has cleared up the confusion surrounding insurance requirements for electric scooters and other personal mobility devices. The authority confirmed that these vehicles are not subject to the mandatory civil liability insurance required for motorized vehicles. This clarification comes after the PSP announced plans to start enforcing insurance checks on electric scooters and other devices starting this Friday.
What’s Exempt?
The ANSR explained that electric scooters, ‘scooters’, ‘segways’, and ‘hoverboards’ are exempt from the insurance requirement. According to the authority, these devices are considered equivalent to bicycles for road circulation purposes. This means they don’t need civil liability insurance to be used on public roads.
The exemption applies to:
- bicycles – vehicles with two or more wheels powered by the rider;
- bicycles with an auxiliary motor up to 1.0 kW, which cuts off at 25 km/h;
- electric scooters and other personal mobility devices with a motor up to 0.25 kW, limited to 25 km/h.
These vehicles are treated like bicycles, so they don’t require insurance or a driver’s license to be used on public roads.
New Legislation
A new law is set to take effect this Friday, but it doesn’t apply to electric scooters or personal mobility devices. The law covers motorized vehicles that can go over 25 km/h or weigh more than 25 kg with a top speed above 14 km/h. The ANSR clarified that wheelchairs for people with physical disabilities are also exempt from this law.