Will E-Scooters Be Outlawed? Kazakhstan Tightens Rules for Riders

Stricter rules for e-scooter riders will take effect across Kazakhstan on August 25. Riding on sidewalks and pedestrian paths will be completely prohibited, while only adults with a driver’s license in any category will be permitted to ride along the edge of the road, Orda.kz reports.

Saltanat Azirbek, spokesperson for the Almaty Police Department, discussed the upcoming changes, fines and removal of improperly parked scooters during a briefing at the Almaty Regional Communications Service.

Police say the new rules will divide the lives of Almaty’s e-scooter riders into “before” and “after.” A transition period will remain in effect until August 25. Riders may still use sidewalks and pedestrian areas at speeds of no more than 6 kilometers per hour, including those without a driver’s license. However, police are urging riders to begin changing their habits now.

Beginning August 25, the requirements will be the same for everyone. Riding in pedestrian areas and on sidewalks will be prohibited. E-scooters will be permitted only on bike paths and bike lanes. If none are available, riders may use the right edge of the road. However, only adults with a driver’s license in any category will be allowed to do so,Azirbek said.

Police plan to enforce the rules in cooperation with e-scooter rental companies. Users will be unable to rent a scooter without confirming that they have a driver’s license. This feature is already available in rental apps but is not yet being fully enforced. If a rider enters a prohibited area, such as a sidewalk or pedestrian street, the scooter will gradually slow to two or three kilometers per hour before stopping completely.

Police say the tighter restrictions are necessary for public safety. Since the beginning of the year, 83 traffic accidents involving e-scooters have been recorded in Almaty. No deaths were reported, but around 90 people were injured.

Azirbek cited several serious incidents from previous years, including cases in which women with children were struck on sidewalks. In another incident, two people riding a scooter fell into an aryk, or irrigation canal, and a young woman suffered fatal injuries.

The registration-number requirement applies only to rental e-scooters. Privately owned scooters do not need individual identification numbers. However, general traffic rules, including the sidewalk ban and speed restrictions, apply to privately owned scooters as well.

Asked about speed restrictions for e-scooters used by police patrols, Azirbek said the department does not have its own fleet. The scooters are provided by an e-scooter rental company.

These scooters have a software-controlled speed limit and cannot travel faster than 25 kilometers per hour. Scooter patrols therefore follow exactly the same speed restrictions,Azirbek said.

Original author: Eva Golovintseva

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