Will Electric Scooter Regulations Be Strengthened Again... 'License Possession and Harsher Penalties' Amendment to Road Traffic Act Passes Public Safety Committee

Regulations on Personal Mobility Devices Eased from the 10th of This Month
Regulation Strengthening Bill Passed Again Before Full Law Implementation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The amendment to the Road Traffic Act requiring possession of a motorized bicycle license to use personal mobility devices (PM), such as electric kickboards, has passed the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee (PAS Committee). The revised Road Traffic Act, which aims to ease regulations on PM use, is scheduled to take effect on the 10th of this month, but the committee's reversal of this policy is expected to spark controversy.

According to the National Assembly on the 4th, the PAS Committee prepared a chairman's alternative for 14 amendments to the Road Traffic Act on the 2nd and approved it in a plenary session. Notably, this alternative includes provisions to strengthen PM usage regulations. First, only those who have obtained a motorized bicycle driving license, typically for motorcycles, are allowed to operate PMs.

Additionally, the amendment includes regulations to impose fines and penalties for violations such as ▲failure of the driver or passenger to wear safety gear ▲exceeding the passenger capacity ▲not using lighting devices or reflective gear at night ▲driving under the influence of drugs or other impairing substances.

This stands in direct contrast to the revised Road Traffic Act set to be enforced from the 10th, which allowed individuals aged 13 and older to operate PMs without a license. The committee's decision effectively reverses this before it even takes effect. The absence of separate penalties for not wearing safety gear has also been significantly changed.

The amendment is set to be enforced four months after its promulgation, so it will not be implemented simultaneously with the deregulation law. However, since the National Assembly has agreed on establishing a dedicated PM driving license, further legislative amendments are expected in the future.

The move to strengthen regulations before the deregulation law is fully implemented comes amid strong criticism from the education sector and public opinion. Traffic accidents involving PMs have nearly doubled annually, from 117 cases in 2017 to 225 in 2018, and 447 last year. During this period, there were 16 fatalities and 835 injuries.

Accidents continue this year as well. In October, two high school students riding an electric kickboard together in Incheon collided with a taxi; one of the riders died and the other was seriously injured. It was confirmed that they were not wearing helmets. Then, on the 2nd of this month, a fatal accident occurred on Seoul's Nambu Sunhwan-ro when Mr. A, riding an electric kickboard, collided with a motorcycle that ran a red light.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.