The first mini electric scooters, known as “steps” in Dutch, have been licenced for use on Dutch roads and are already being spotted in Amsterdam, the Parool reported at the weekend.
So far, only e-scooters from one brand have been cleared for use by the vehicle licencing authority. Users must be over 16, the scooters may not exceed 25kph, and helmets are not compulsory. Each scooter must also be fitted with a blue number plate.
The Dutch capital is unhappy about the arrival of the scooters on Amsterdam’s bike lanes and roads, and city transport chief Melanie van der Horst said she is looking into measures to keep them out.
“In Belgium, someone is taken to a hospital emergency department every eight hours because of an accident involving a scooter,” she told the Parool. “That is not something to look forward to here.”
The city is also examining how to tackle another new attraction: go-kart tours through Amsterdam, currently being offered by one company.
“The [e-scooter] market is currently relaxed, but we have to look carefully at what can be done to prevent things getting worse,” Van der Horst said.
The ban had allowed Dutch towns and cities to see off plans to introduce shared scooter services, such as Lime and Bird, which have caused problems in places such as Paris and Berlin.
In 2023, a large majority of Paris residents voted to ban the scooters in a city-wide referendum.
All “light electric vehicles without pedals” are required to have number plates in the Netherlands so that officials can verify whether they are road-legal and take action in cases of traffic violations.
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