The results of the trial run showed that it is suitable for short trips
The start of the operation of the "electric scooter" in 10 regions in Dubai next Wednesday
Mattar Al Tayer: “(The Authority) will launch a link on its website that will allow free application for obtaining a driving permit for (electric scooters).”
Abdullah Al-Marri: "We are keen to control the road, and to ensure that scooter users comply with traffic safety requirements."
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The Roads and Transport Authority and the Dubai Police General Command announced the start of the actual operation of the first phase of the electric scooter in 10 areas in Dubai, on the bike paths designated for it, as of next Wednesday.
This step comes in line with the issuance of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, a decision regulating the use of bicycles in the Emirate of Dubai, aimed at supporting efforts to transform the emirate into a bike-friendly city, and encouraging residents and visitors to use alternative means of transportation.
It also comes as a culmination of the success of the trial run of the electric scooter, which began in October 2020.
The Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, Mattar Al Tayer, said that the first phase covers the areas of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai Internet City, Al Rigga, December 2nd Street, Palm Jumeirah and City Walk, in addition to roads. The safe areas of Al Qusais, Al Mankhool, and Al Karama, within a specific path and range, as well as 167 kilometers of tracks designated for bicycles and electric scooters in various regions of the Emirate of Dubai, with the exception of bike paths in Seih Al Salam, Al Qudra, and Maidan,” noting that “choosing these The areas and tracks came according to specific criteria, such as high population density, special development areas, areas served by metro stations and mass transportation, the availability of integrated infrastructure, and areas with a high level of traffic safety.”
He added that the operation of the joint electric scooter in the areas where driving is permitted is limited to four companies, including two international companies, Terre and Lime, and two local companies, Rabbit and Skirt, and a number of no less than 2,000 electric scooters for the next phase, and the selection of the four companies came after their success in the operation phase. The pilot, achieving a high rate of customer satisfaction of 82%.
The results of the trial run also showed the suitability of the electric scooter, as a means of individual transportation for short trips, first and last mile trips.
The number of flights executed until the end of 2021 reached about 500,000.
Al Tayer stated that the RTA will launch, at the end of this month, a link on its website (www.rta.ae) that will allow those wishing to apply for free to obtain a permit to drive an electric scooter, on safe roads in the areas it has specified, after obtaining training courses, and passing the test via website.
For his part, the Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, Lieutenant-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, stressed working in cooperation with the authority and strategic partners to implement the directions of the Dubai government, pointing to the efforts made by the relevant public departments in Dubai Police, to ensure the application of safety and security requirements, and adherence to relevant laws and legislation. relevance.
He also affirmed the Dubai Police's keenness to ensure that road users abide by laws and legislation, in order to enhance making Dubai a preferred place to live and work, a preferred destination for visitors, the safest, and the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world, in addition to contributing to the achievement of the Emirates Energy Strategy 2050.
He said: "Our duty in Dubai Police is to control the road, and to ensure that cyclists, electric scooters and all other means of transportation comply with safety requirements, to protect them and others from road hazards."
A decision of the Executive Council specified the technical specifications that must be met by the bicycle and the electric scooter, which include: a white headlight in the front, a red lamp and a red reflector in the rear, an audio warning device installed on the steering wheel, and brakes on the front and rear tires, in addition to the presence of proportionality between the sizes of the tires and the size of the bike, And that the tires are suitable for running on the road or path specified by the authority, and that the size of the bike is commensurate with the size of its rider.
The authority called on the public to choose high-quality electric scooters, to avoid accidents of burning batteries or frequent technical malfunctions.
With regard to the bike rider, the decision specified a number of obligations for him, the most important of which are: to abide by traffic legislation, and to drive bicycles and electric scooters owned by individuals and companies, and intended for personal purposes or for rental activity only in the permitted areas, announced by the authority, and to drive them on the paths that As determined by the Authority, not to use bicycles on the paths designated for walking or running, not to exceed the speed specified by the Authority in those areas, and not to drive electric scooters or any other category of bicycles specified by the Authority on safe roads without obtaining a driving permit .
Driving Permit
The authority stated that it will launch a campaign to educate scooter users about the controls and locations of use, and the importance of obtaining a permit to drive an electric scooter via the electronic platform, as a prerequisite for allowing scooters to be driven on safe roads in the announced areas, and holders of a vehicle driving license or a global driving license are excluded from obtaining the permit. Or a motorbike licence.
The decision also specified the obligations of the bike and electric scooter driver, including adherence to the safety and security requirements approved by the authority, including wearing a reflective jacket and a protective helmet on the head, and not carrying any passenger on a bicycle or electric, unless the bike is equipped for that, and the passenger was Adhering to the safety and security requirements approved by the Authority, and not carrying any passenger or anything that leads to imbalance while driving the electric scooter.
The decision also required the cyclist to leave a sufficient safety distance between him and other vehicles and pedestrians.
It stipulated the necessity of not driving the bicycle or the electric bike on the road whose speed exceeds 60 kilometers per hour. Such as driving while holding the vehicle or trailer, driving without holding the steering wheel, zigzag cycling, or holding the steering wheel with one hand, unless this is due to the issuance of a manual signal.
The decision also stipulated the necessity of notifying any accident caused or suffered by the bike rider, which results in injuries or material damage, on the phone numbers designated for the police, ambulance or the authority, unless it is proven that he is unable to do so, and always use the right side of the road when driving Bicycle or bicycle and electric scooter, making sure that the road is clear, issuing a hand signal when changing lanes, walking in the direction of traffic always, and not vice versa, adhering to the specified paths, ensuring the safety of speed gears, brakes and tires, and using fixed or intermittent lighting according to the specified controls The authority has the authority to do so in this regard, and not to allow the bike to be towed with any vehicle, or any things to be pulled on the bike, and not to make additions or fundamental changes to the bike or electric scooter.
It is prohibited to ride a bicycle in violation of the conditions, requirements, and controls stipulated in this resolution and the decisions issued pursuant thereto, and to ride a bicycle by a person under the age of 12 Gregorian years, without being accompanied by a bicycle rider of at least 18 Gregorian years, and to drive an electric bike or electric scooter. Or any other type of bicycle determined by the Authority for a person under the age of 16 Gregorian years, without obtaining a driving permit.
Global best practices
The Roads and Transport Authority has provided, along the approved tracks and areas, panels that include instructions and directions for driving bicycles and electric scooters, as well as smart applications for operators, maps of the lanes in which they are allowed to drive, and the safety rules to be followed.
Scooter parking for operating companies
The Roads and Transport Authority has provided parking for shared electric scooters along the paths designated for electric scooters and the areas permitted to drive scooters, as they are concentrated in the most important tourist attractions, and around various public transportation stations, with the aim of encouraging residents and visitors to use electric scooters on first mile trips. And lastly, to preserve the aesthetic form of the emirate.
The authority called on users to abide by stopping the shared electric scooters of the operating companies, in the designated parking spaces only, and not to leave them in a way that constitutes an obstacle to the movement of vehicles or pedestrians, or to use public parking spaces for other vehicles, in order not to be subject to a violation. Change the parking spaces designated for it, or stop it in a way that may lead to obstructing the movement of vehicles or pedestrians, or stop it in a way that poses a danger to road users, and this will result in a fine of 200 dirhams.
• 4 companies operating joint scooters in the specified areas, with a number of 2,000 scooters.
• 200 dirhams for a violation of stopping a scooter in a manner that poses a danger to road users.
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