Ivano-Frankivsk bans electric scooters in the city center: what will happen now

Ivano-Frankivsk will ban riding electric scooters and electric bicycles

According to hvylya.net: Starting from mid-October, riding electric scooters, electric bicycles, and other personal electric transport will be prohibited in the center of Ivano-Frankivsk. The city became the first regional center in Ukraine to introduce such a ban.

According to Forbes, the restrictions will also affect segways and other types of personal electric transport. The city authorities have already begun preparations to implement new rules.

'We are installing signs, preparing response patrols,' said the director of the Department of Infrastructure, Housing and Communal Policy of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, Mykhailo Smushak.

The impetus for the decision was an accident in September when a 6-year-old child was hospitalized due to an electric transport collision. This incident prompted the city council to reconsider approaches to regulating the movement of personal electric transport in the central part of the city.

Statistics show a worsening safety situation: in 2024, the number of offenses involving electric scooters increased by 42%.

Control over traffic violations and road safety

We remind you that the patrol police is considering allowing citizens to record traffic violations on their devices. This initiative is part of a comprehensive set of measures aimed at strengthening control and creating a 'sense of inevitability of punishment' among drivers.

In addition, one of the key proposals is to lower the 'non-punishable threshold' for speeding from the current 20 km/h to 10 km/h. This draft law is being considered along with other initiatives aimed at improving road safety, based on international experience.

There are also discussions about introducing severe penalties for extreme driving, including fines of up to 17 thousand hryvnias with a driving ban for drifting. At the same time, the possibility of confiscating vehicles from drunk drivers for the benefit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during martial law is being considered.

It should be added that the Verkhovna Rada is considering a draft law that could radically change the rules for elderly drivers. The initiative envisages enhanced control over the ability to drive after the age of 65, including mandatory medical examinations and psychological testing.

Summary: The city of Ivano-Frankivsk will be the first among regional centers in Ukraine to ban riding electric scooters and electric bicycles in the central part of the city. This decision was made after an accident involving electric transport that exacerbated the safety situation on the roads. New initiatives regarding the control of traffic violations and severe penalties for drunk drivers and extreme drivers are also being considered.