Currently, there are about 800 e-scooters in operation in five key Dubai districts
Authorities in Dubai have discussed ways to regulate e-scooters and mopeds in the Emirate.
In a meeting between the Dubai Police and Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), officials reviewed the results of an ongoing trial operation of e-scooters that was rolled out in October 2020.
Listen to this story and more on the 8@8 with David Light podcast
Currently, there are about 800 e-scooters in operation in five key Dubai districts: The Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Jumeirah Lakes, Dubai Internet City, Al Riqqa & Al Muraqqabat, and the 2nd of December Street.
About 82 per cent of the riders have expressed satisfaction at the service.
Authorities are now looking to implement the service permanently and discussing ways to regulate shared and personalised e-scooters.
Officials stressed how e-scooters have eased traffic in metropolitan cities like London, Paris, New York, Berlin and Singapore.
The meeting examined a proposal to regulate the operation of the lightweight pedalled motorbikes known as mopeds. It is fitted with two or three wheels and has a maximum speed of 50kmph. The RTA said that some cosmopolitan cities have started to license mopeds as a first and last-mile mobility option but under specific conditions and within certain areas.
The meeting reviewed the benchmarks related to the conditions and controls governing the use of mopeds in countries such as the US, Spain, Italy and France.
The discussion also covered the proposed regulations, including the age of the user, permitted streets, maximum engine power, registration and licensing, and the maximum speed, among others.
Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA; and Lieutenant-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, were among the officials who attended the meeting.
