Couriers on electric bicycles may be banned from riding on sidewalks

Scooters and electric bicycles with an engine power of more than 250 watts in long-term load mode were proposed to be equated with mopeds and banned from riding them on sidewalks. This follows from the draft protocol on the results of a government meeting on the necessary regulation for personal mobility equipment (IMS), which Izvestia reviewed on April 1.

The meeting was held on March 26, among its participants were representatives of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who should act as the main authors of amendments to the Rules of the Road (SDA), the Cabinet of Ministers is waiting for a new version on April 3.

A source from Izvestia who was at the meeting clarified that such electric bicycles are usually used by couriers of retail chains to deliver groceries. Now they are moving along the sidewalks, overtaking pedestrians, periodically provoking accidents. This causes widespread discontent among people and has prompted the authorities to form new restrictions. Their compliance will be reinforced by special traffic police raids, which will be activated in large cities, the source added.

According to the Scientific Center for Road Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in the first nine months of 2024, 920 accidents involving bicycles with an electric motor were recorded in Russia, killing 25 people and injuring 926 others. this is the primary statistics, previously the regulator had not conducted such calculations. In almost half (42.9%, 395) of the accidents, cyclists were employees of delivery services, five people were killed and 402 injured in these incidents.

According to the Rules of the road, now mopeds are equated with vehicles with an electric motor, the power of which is strictly limited, it must be at a continuous load of more than 250 watts and less than 4000 watts. At the same time, moped drivers must wear a helmet and drive on the right side of the front row, they must have rights that can be obtained by persons over the age of 16, Alexander Kholodov, deputy chairman of the Commission for Safety and Interaction with the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, reminded Izvestia.

But many electric bicycles used by couriers have an engine power of exactly 4,000 watts, meaning they stand on the edge between mopeds and bicycles.

As Kholodov added, traffic regulations in this direction are not actually working now, because some couriers on such vehicles still fall under the category of mopeds. In practice, trading companies and their employees tear off the stickers on these bicycles, which indicate the engine power, so traffic police inspectors cannot determine whether it is possible to fix a violation of the rules.

The Ministry of Transport indicated to Izvestia that they would be ready to comment on this initiative at the stage of its public discussion. In turn, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers told Izvestia that officials are constantly working to improve the regulation of personal mobility equipment, including electric bicycles.

"Various regulatory options are being worked out with interested departments, parliamentarians and relevant experts. The final decision on this issue will be made based on the results of the discussion at the government's site, taking into account the positions of all participants in the discussion," the Cabinet noted.

Izvestia also sent a request to the Interior Ministry.

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Earlier, on March 20, it was reported that employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate in St. Petersburg conducted a large-scale operation "Electric Bike" to establish how SIM drivers affect the level of road safety. Nine accidents involving electric bicycles were recorded in the city, in which three people were injured in various degrees of severity.

On February 24, it was reported that, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moscow, since the beginning of 2025, the metropolitan police have compiled about 4 thousand materials about violations of traffic rules on sidewalks in relation to bicycle couriers.