Greece and Cyprus tighten national rules on e-scooters

Greece and Cyprus have become the latest European countries to tighten their national rules on e-scooters.

In Cyprus, two laws amending the 2018 Regulation of Bicycles and other Personal Mobility Devices Law were published earlier this month. The new framework sets a minimum age of 17 for e-scooter use, and adds provisions on where the devices may be ridden, the technical and equipment standards they must meet, the powers of enforcement authorities to seize devices used in breach of the law, the operation of rental companies, and the powers of municipal and community authorities to set local rules.

In Greece, Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis announced earlier in May that an upcoming bill would introduce a complete ban on e-scooter use by minors. Under the new framework, all e-scooters will have to be fitted with speed limiters, will be barred from high-speed roads, and will require mandatory insurance and special identification markings. Municipalities will be empowered to set a maximum number of shared scooters for the first time.

A European Commission study on regulatory options for personal mobility devices was published in November 2024, but the Commission has not yet brought forward legislation. ETSC has called for mandatory EU safety standards including a maximum speed of 20 km/h, and continues to urge the European Commission to act without further delay. A recently published Commission review promised further action on so-called personal mobility devices.    

National measures of the kind now being taken in Greece and Cyprus are necessary, but a patchwork of differing rules across the EU risks confusing users and leaving safety standards inconsistent.