Lisboners’ relationship with scooters has always been one of love and hate. I love them because they “clean” the city of more polluting means of transport, and I hate them because their users don’t always respect good civic rules, such as abandoning them in the middle of sidewalks.
In order to resolve this type of constraint once and for all, Lisbon City Council and the five scooter companies operating in the city have signed an agreement that will define mandatory parking places, speed limits and the number of scooters and shared bicycles.
The new rules for scooters in Lisbon
The agreement, signed on January 9 by all the parties involved, will begin to have practical results in two months ‘ time , the deadline proposed by the Lisbon municipality for scooter operators to start defining mandatory stopping points.
Parking spaces such as squares and plazas, historic buildings, sidewalks and pedestrian spaces, as well as bus and train terminals, or access to metro stations, are excluded.
These locations, which will be served by their own docks, will be the only places where users can end their journeys.
If the scooter isn’t parked in the right place, the user can’t turn off the service,” explained Mayor Carlos Moedas.
Speed limits
Another important measure was the setting of a speed limit of 20 km/h for each scooter and shared bicycle, and the circulation of this means of transport on sidewalks and in the opposite direction to traffic was also prohibited.
For the mayor, this was a limit he wanted to see lowered even further, but he acknowledged that he would also have to make some compromises, since at this speed a reasonable level of safety is already achieved for all residents and for those who use the same roads where scooters can also circulate, such as cars.
Limit on the number of scooters per operator
No less important was the measure to limit the number of scooters for each company. Thus, there will be two annual periods:
- during the winter period, from November 1 to March 31, each operator can have 1,500 of these vehicles circulating in the city;
- during the summer period, from April 1 to October 30, this number rises to 1,750 scooters per company.
Translated into more concrete figures, this means that in winter only 7,500 scooters can circulate in Lisbon, and in summer 8,750 .
According to Carlos Moedas, there are currently more than 15,000 scooters in Lisbon, an exaggerated number considering that the capital of the neighboring country, Madrid, has only 6,000 of these vehicles circulating on its roads.
In the case of shared bicycles, the agreement between the parties set a maximum of 250 in the winter and 500 in the summer.
The fines
It was also agreed that the companies providing the shared mobility services would apply the appropriate fines and penalties for non-compliance with these rules, particularly illegal parking.
Article 112 of the Highway Code
According to Article 112 of the Highway Code, electric scooters are subject to the same rules as bicycles:
- It is mandatory to respect all traffic rules
- Lighting and spotlights are mandatory
- They must not exceed 25 km/hour
- It is not allowed to ride on sidewalks, only on streets and bike paths
- The use of cell phones or earphones while driving is not allowed
- It is not permitted to lift the front or rear wheel when starting or driving
- Driving with your hands off the handlebars is not allowed
- Driving under the influence of alcohol is not allowed
- Although advisable, wearing a helmet is not compulsory
Bicicletas Gira serão gratuitas para “quase” todos os utilizadores com Passe Navegante