The State Traffic Inspectorate of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region proposed introducing a separate category of driver's license for personal mobility devices. According to Anton Akhminov, Deputy Head of the regional department, who spoke to TASS, the reason for the initiative was a twofold increase in accidents involving electric scooters in the first half of the year.
The agency also insists on assigning a registration number to each personal mobility device, which would allow identifying offenders who flee the scene of an accident, and on mandatory verification of the renter's license through kicksharing services. According to Akhminov, if the at-fault party has a driver's license, it should be revoked, and if not, sanctions should be applied as to those operating a vehicle without a license. Currently, he says, scooter riders often get away with just a fine, even when a pedestrian sustains serious injuries.
The initiative aligns with the tightening regulation of personal mobility devices. In April, the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg proposed allowing only individuals aged 16 and older to operate them and introducing state license plates for electric bicycles. In June, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, together with the Center for Biometric Technologies, began exploring the possibility of identity verification through biometrics for rentals to exclude minors. The State Traffic Inspectorate does not have the right of legislative initiative, so the proposal remains at the recommendation level for now.