Hungary plans stricter e-scooter rules, banning drink-riding and passengers

Motorised scooters will be classified as a separate vehicle category under Hungary’s Highway Code, and riding them under the influence of alcohol or carrying a second person will be prohibited under the government’s proposal, Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced on his Facebook page late Wednesday afternoon.

In a video message, the prime minister said that, following extensive consultations with experts and gathering the opinions of several hundred thousand people, the government had decided to amend and tighten the Highway Code in order to significantly reduce scooter-related accidents. The regulation will be opened to a further round of public consultation before it is officially announced.

Under the government’s proposal, motorised scooters will become a separate vehicle category under the Highway Code and will be subject to specific rules. Riding under the influence of alcohol and carrying a passenger will be prohibited.

High-powered electric scooters will be banned from pavements in all circumstances. Low-powered electric scooters will also only be allowed on pavements when no other alternative is available, such as a cycle path.

Under the proposal, electric scooters will be divided into two vehicle categories based on their power and performance. Low-powered scooters will be defined as those capable of reaching a maximum speed of 25 kilometres per hour. The minimum age for using them will be 14, and riders under the age of 18 will be required to wear a helmet.

The high-powered motorised scooter category will include all devices capable of exceeding 25 kilometres per hour. These scooters may only be used by people aged 16 and over. Riders will need at least a licence equivalent to that required for mopeds and scooters, and wearing a helmet will be compulsory. The maximum permitted speed for high-powered motorised scooters will be 40 kilometres per hour.

The maximum speed of rental electric scooters will be capped at 20 kilometres per hour, the prime minister said.

Péter Magyar also noted that electric scooters had spread rapidly across Hungary in recent years, becoming one of the most common means of transport in just a few years. Tens of thousands of people use them every day, despite the fact that the existing regulations do not even recognise them as a separate vehicle category. He added that these devices are used predominantly by young people and that the number of accidents involving electric scooters had risen dramatically in recent years.

“Previous governments swept this problem under the carpet and were unwilling even to acknowledge its existence. While they constantly talked about protecting our children, they failed to notice the very danger that every parent, every doctor and every road safety expert could see,” he said.

He added that the Tisza government had begun addressing the issue virtually on its first day in office.

According to Magyar, electric scooters make transport more efficient and sustainable, “which is why deciding where to draw the line and what rules to introduce was a difficult question”.

He recalled that the government had launched a public dialogue on road safety over the summer, with the regulation of electric scooters among the most important topics. In less than two months, more than 300,000 people had shared their views.

A representative public opinion poll was also conducted, and consultations were held with transport experts. The government also reviewed regulations in other European countries.

Magyar said that participants in the public consultation and representative survey, along with experts, agreed that regulations governing electric scooters needed to be introduced as soon as possible.