In Ivano-Frankivsk, starting mid-October, a ban on the use of electric scooters in the central part of the city will come into effect. This decision is the first among the regional centers of Ukraine and will apply not only to scooters, but also to electric bicycles, segways, and other types of personal electric transport. This was reported by the director of the city council's Department of Infrastructure Mykhailo Smushak.
How Ivano-Frankivsk is preparing for the ban on electric scooters in the city center
According to the official, the city is already installing appropriate road signs and forming patrols to control the enforcement of the ban. The impetus for this decision was an incident in Ivano-Frankivsk in September, when a six-year-old child was hospitalized after being hit by electric transport.
Statistics also indicate a rise in safety issues. According to OpenDataBot, in 2024, the number of offenses related to the use of electric scooters increased by 42%. In just one year, 71 court cases involving this transport have been recorded.
Where else is the rental of electric scooters prohibited
This is not the first case of restricting the use of electric scooters in Ukraine. Back in 2023, in Izmail, in the south of the Odesa region, the authorities completely banned the rental of electric scooters. At that time, the city council decided to confiscate transport that was rented or used in any other way without permission. Owners could only return such scooters after proving ownership and compensating for the costs of their storage and transportation.
Ivano-Frankivsk has become the first regional center where the authorities decided to impose clear restrictions, but it is quite possible that its example will be followed by other cities.
Earlier, we wrote about how to choose a good electric scooter for the city.