Cyprus moves to tighten e-scooter rules after 8,800 offences and two deaths
Parliament's transport committee is reviewing five bills covering registration, age limits, insurance and impounding, while police report two scooter riders killed this year.
Between 1 January and 31 October 2026 police recorded 8,800 offences linked to electric scooters, the House Transport Committee was told on Thursday, as lawmakers began scrutinising five bills designed to rein in their use. Members of parliament called the machines “mobile bombs”.
Two riders have lost their lives this year, while five people suffered serious injuries through the end of August, two of them underage, according to Tasos Assiikis of the police traffic department. Riding in forbidden areas accounted for 2,800 of the offences — the category officers treat as the gravest — and the overall figure reflects a steep increase in out-of-court fines, he said.
The committee also heard from Virginia Christou of the Cyprus Consumers Association, who described the case of 16-year-old Aris Papacharalambous, killed last September in a road collision involving a scooter. A ministerial decree on confiscating scooters, described as essential for enforcement, now sits with the Law Office of the Republic; a ministry official said it was finalised after an August public consultation, and a Law Office representative said the legal review would take roughly a month.
What it means for residents
The bills, if passed, will change how scooters are bought, ridden and parked on the island — and how much a lapse costs. Until the impounding decree clears legal review, enforcement remains weak, so responsibility still rests largely with riders and parents.
- Age and registration: a register of personal mobility devices plus penalties for owners, guardians and parents of under-17 users would make family supervision a legal duty, not just advice.
- Costs: compulsory insurance and identification markings are on the table, so budget for cover before you buy or hire a scooter.
- Where you can ride: one proposal would freeze scooter use inside municipal districts until safe networks exist, so check local rules before planning daily routes.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
