Thursday, March 10, 2016

Drink and ride e-scooter with impunity

But there is considerable grey area when it comes to regulating electric scooters in the Kathmandu Valley and the rules being violated by their riders are treated with leniency.

E-scooter riders need not obtain driving licence, wear helmet or comply with general traffic rules. They can even ride such bikes under the influence and traffic cops will have no option but to let them go.

Lack of legal provisions to register e-scooters encourages riders to violate traffic rules. Their number went up during the recent fuel crisis and officials estimate that more than 5,000 e-scooters are plying the Valley roads.

Superintendent of Police Lokendra Malla, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, has urged the Department of Transport Management to amend the existing Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act and bring such vehicles within the ambit of law to ensure more effective traffic management and improve public safety and security.

Though the MTPD has not recorded any road fatalities involving e-bikes yet, that can change, as they can go up to 40 kmph, enough to knock down pedestrians. “If e-scooters cause an accident, their riders will be booked under the same laws that apply to fuel-run bikes and vehicles.

Despite this, it is expedient to require e-scooters to get registered with the DoTM and issue driving licence to the riders for maintaining their records,” SP Malla told THT.

He acknowledged that it would be difficult to trace an e-scooter rider involved in hit-and-run case. The absence of number plate will also make it difficult to find a stolen e-scooter.

Basanta Adhikari, director and spokesperson for the DoTM, said, “The existing laws and rules do not require registration or driving licence for e-moped with capacity below 350 watts, as they are designed to be operated by human power.

But departmental policy has it that any e-bike with capacity of 350-1,200 watts is registered only in the zones other than Bagmati and the riders need to obtain driving licence.” E-bikes of 350-1,200 watts are not registered in Bagmati zone, as they have limited-speed, are too week to climb steep roads and contribute only to traffic jams in the Valley.

“We register e-bikes above 1,200 watts and allow them to run in the Valley. But many battery-powered bikes below 1,200 watts registered in other zones are plying the Valley roads.

We will impound such e-bikes with the help of traffic police and initiate action against the riders,” Adhikari said.he Valley roads.


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