Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
Citizens welcome ban on use of e-scooters on sidewalks
A man rides an electric scooter at Yonsei University in western Seoul on Tuesday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho
By Lee Hyo-jin
By Lee Hyo-jin
The government's plan to prohibit the use of electric scooters on sidewalks starting next month has relieved citizens who were concerned about personal mobility device (PMD)-related accidents.
After the revision to the Road Traffic Law takes effect Dec. 10, driving e-scooters on sidewalks will be banned. E-scooter users are only allowed to use bicycle paths or the curbside lane on roads, and violators will be subject to a 30,000 won ($26) fine.
“I'm happy to hear that the sidewalks will finally be cleared of the dangerously fast e-scooters. I feel scared every time I see a scooter coming towards me,” said a resident in Yeongdeungpo District, southern Seoul.
“They should have banned it earlier. We've already seen so many accidents, some of which resulted in death. I think an e-scooter at its highest speed is as dangerous as a car on the road.” said a college student surnamed Lee.
“As a frequent scooter rider, I understand the government's decision. I've always felt a little uncomfortable when I notice people getting startled by the noiseless scooter. But I hope the authorities give us detailed guidelines on exactly where we can use them. A lot of bicycle paths are shared with pedestrians,” said an office worker in her 20s surnamed Lee.
Questions also remain as to whether local governments will be capable of monitoring the violators on site.
“Civil servants can't possibly stand on the streets to monitor e-scooters. The government should come up with more specific measures,” said a housewife surnamed Park.
The ban comes as e-scooter-related accidents have spiked in recent years, some of them resulting in death.
The country saw 447 accidents related to e-scooters in 2019, a threefold increase from 2017, according to the National Police Agency.
Several recent accidents have had fatal consequences. A high school student who was riding a scooter in Incheon died after being critically injured in a collision with a taxi on Oct. 24. An e-scooter rider in his 50s also passed away on Oct. 19 after he ran into an excavator in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.