Couriers who deliver orders on electric bicycles may need a driver's license. Valery Fadeev, head of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, proposed equating the electric bicycles they use to mopeds.
According to Fadeev's idea, a driver's license would be required to operate such transport in the city, and electric bicycles themselves should receive license plates. Then violations could be recorded by road cameras.
Fadeev cited running a red light as an example. According to him, for the first violation, a courier could be fined, and for a repeat offense, their license could be revoked. In such a case, a person without a license would no longer be able to ride a bicycle and deliver food, which would directly impact their earnings.
Currently, the rules are different. An electric bicycle with an electric motor with a nominal maximum power of up to 0.25 kW is classified as a bicycle if the motor automatically switches off at speeds above 25 km/h. No driver's license is required to operate such transport.
However, more powerful electric transport is already classified as a moped. Traffic rules define a moped as a two- or three-wheeled mechanical vehicle with an electric motor with a power of more than 0.25 and less than 4 kW and a maximum design speed of no more than 50 km/h.