Ministry to make new regulation on e-scooters

Abdülkadir Selvi - ANKARA

The Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry will make a new regulation in a bid to prevent e-scooter accidents, which have become a hot topic of security debate in the country due to increasing deaths, Minister Adil Karaismailoğlu has announced.

Reminding that a regulation was published on the use of scooters last year, Karaismailoğlu stated that the new rules were not followed by the majority.

Noting that both the municipalities and the security forces will step in for the effective follow-up of the rules, the minister said a new regulation will be made considering the increase in accidents.

With the changes in the traffic regulation entered into force as of Aug. 16, it became mandatory for motorcycle, e-scooter and bicycle riders to wear reflective vest-like clothing that will make them easier to be seen by other drivers during nighttime travel.

Türkiye witnessed the first e-scooter victim, İlknur Akkaya, in Istanbul on Oct. 26, 2021. A driver inside the car had opened the door and knocked her off the e-scooter into the main road, the door hitting her as she was passing. A bus driving by killed Akkaya.

A vehicle hit an e-scooter on April 21 in the southeastern province of Gaziantep and caused the death of a high school student. On July 12, a 23-year-old dancer was killed in Istanbul’s Şişli district.

Another accident occurred in the southern province of Antalya on Aug. 29 when an Iranian tourist on an e-scooter was hit and killed by a Russian car driver.

The latest e-scooter accident happened again in Antalya on Oct. 22 when a reckless driver hit two high-school friends on the e-scooter while driving fast in his vehicle. The two, who were thrown away from the e-scooter due to the impact, died at the scene.

Stressing that “micro-mobility” that facilitates transportation with bicycles, e-scooters and walking paths will be encouraged, Karaismailoğlu said, “These have become a part of our lives. Especially young people prefer e-scooters.”

“They will be the biggest trends of the coming years. This has to be the biggest job of local governments,” the minister added.