Public roads 'barred' to unlicensed motorised scooters
Under Maltese law, it is unlawful to drive electric-powered motorised "micro" scooters and go-ped on any public road, including squares, pavements and promenades, unless they are licensed for this purpose, the Malta Transport Authority said...
Under Maltese law, it is unlawful to drive electric-powered motorised "micro" scooters and go-ped on any public road, including squares, pavements and promenades, unless they are licensed for this purpose, the Malta Transport Authority said yesterday.
The Times on Monday featured an article about scooters over which there was reportedly no legislation that regulates their use. The scooters are catching on in popularity, to the annoyance especially of pedestrians.
The president of the Association of Local Councils, Ian Micallef was quoted in the article as saying that as things stood at the moment the scooters did not require any form of licence or insurance cover.
But the Malta Transport Authority said yesterday that because of safety concerns, like most traffic authorities in other countries, it did not issue "micro" scooters and go-peds with a road licence.
In this respect, whoever rode such "vehicles" on a road, street, lane, square or other place of public thoroughfare was committing an offence of using a motor vehicle without a licence and would be liable to have that vehicle removed by the competent authorities, in accordance with Motor Vehicle Regulations, the authority said.
The authority did not say whether it had drawn the attention of the police to this - if it is bound to do so - nor whether any scooters had in fact been removed "by the competent authorities".
Since they were introduced to the roads some weeks ago, the scooters have received mixed reviews.
Pedestrians want them off the pavements, while drivers have been cursing the sight of youngsters zig-zagging in the streets, liable to cause them to crash. Others have, however, welcomed the environmentally friendly machines.
The scooters, selling for around Lm85, are powered by two 12-volt batteries, and are capable of doing about 25 km per hour.
A number of local councils, especially those in localities with promenades, have expressed frustration after receiving a barrage of complaints from residents.