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- Roll to the side: a ban on couriers riding on sidewalks may be introduced in the spring
Roll to the side: a ban on couriers riding on sidewalks may be introduced in the spring
This spring, couriers on electric bicycles may be banned from riding on sidewalks, a source in one of the sharing companies told Izvestia. The Cabinet of Ministers is ready to equate this transport with mopeds: oblige them to use the right side of the roadway and get a license. The government is waiting for a draft of such amendments to the traffic rules by April 3, according to the draft minutes of the Cabinet meeting on the regulation of personal mobility SIM (available from Izvestia). People today complain en masse about couriers who use such transport. Whether the new rule can affect the cost of delivery is in the Izvestia article.
Why an electric bike can become a moped
By April 3, the government is waiting for the Ministry of Transport to draft amendments to the Rules of the Road, which will prohibit couriers on electric bicycles to ride on sidewalks. This follows from the draft protocol following the results of a regular meeting in the Cabinet on March 26 with the participation of the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other departments, at which officials again discussed regulation for personal mobility equipment (for example, scooters and electric bicycles). Izvestia has reviewed the document. This was also reported by RBC.
The document says that such vehicles with an engine power in continuous load mode of more than 250 watts should be equated to mopeds.
Such electric bicycles are usually used by couriers of retail chains to deliver groceries. Now they move along the sidewalks, overtaking pedestrians, periodically colliding with them. This causes mass discontent among people, the situation is aggravated by the fact that such transport provokes accidents. This is pushing the authorities to create new restrictions for people, said a source in one of the sharing companies, who is familiar with the details of the meeting. Their compliance will be reinforced by special traffic police raids, which will be activated in major cities, he added. According to him, couriers on electric bicycles may be banned from riding on sidewalks this spring.
According to the Scientific Center for Road Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the first nine months of 2024, 920 accidents involving bicycles with an electric motor were recorded in the Russian Federation, killing 25 people and injuring 926 more. These are the primary statistics, the regulator has not conducted such calculations before. In almost half (42.9%, 395) of the accidents, cyclists were employees of delivery services, five people were killed and 402 injured in these accidents.
According to the Rules of the road, now mopeds are equated with vehicles with an electric motor, the power of which is strictly limited, it must be at a continuous load of more than 250 watts and less than 4000 watts. At the same time, moped drivers must wear a helmet and drive on the right side of the front row, they must have rights that can be obtained by persons over the age of 16, Alexander Kholodov, deputy chairman of the Commission for Safety and Interaction with the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, reminded Izvestia.
But many electric bicycles used by couriers have an engine power of up to 240 watts, meaning they almost stand on the edge between mopeds and bicycles.
How will the new rule affect the shipping price?
Currently, traffic regulations do not actually work, because some couriers on such vehicles still fall under the category of mopeds, Alexander Kholodov added. In practice, trading companies and their employees tear off the stickers on these bicycles, which indicate the engine power, so the inspectors of the GIDD cannot determine whether a violation of the rules should be fixed. Not to mention that it is virtually impossible to prove, he noted.
The Ministry of Transport noted that they would be ready to comment on this initiative at the stage of its public discussion. The press service of the Cabinet of Ministers told Izvestia that officials are constantly working to improve the regulation of personal mobility equipment, including electric bicycles.
— Various regulatory options are being worked out with interested departments, parliamentarians and relevant experts. The final decision on this issue will be made based on the results of the discussion at the government's site, taking into account the positions of all participants in the discussion," the Cabinet noted.
Izvestia sent a request to the Interior Ministry.
— We believe that any electric motor, regardless of its power, should make such bicycles mopeds in order to save inspectors from having to perform an eye examination every time on the spot, — said Alexander Kholodov. — Such an adjustment to traffic regulations will not affect the cost of food delivery, only the income of couriers will change. In other words, there will be more employees without electric bicycles, but their salaries will decrease, which seems fair. After all, now couriers on such transport receive up to 200-300 thousand rubles, and, for example, doctors earn half as much.
The proposed changes will in no way affect the availability of this vehicle for couriers and the cost of delivery, said Artyom Sokolov, president of the Association of Online Commerce Companies (AKIT).
— It is formed taking into account seasonality, demand and the number of available performers. So, the price of delivery may increase if the number of orders exceeds the number of performers who are ready to fulfill them," he added.
The rules for using pedestrian infrastructure must be adequate, feasible, and above all in the interests of pedestrians, Ilya Zotov, deputy chairman of the Public Council under the Ministry of Transport, told Izvestia.
— It is necessary to develop cycling infrastructure along the roadway, identifying appropriate routes within the city. Such isolation can remove the issue of negative attitudes towards scooters and bicycles, in which most citizens are afraid to walk, waiting for another hit—and-run," he said. — The cost of delivery should not increase at the same time if the infrastructure is created. The fact is that delivery is already a part of the life of many residents of the country and in such a situation it is necessary to adapt the urban environment to people, ultimately this type of business and mobility contributes to the urban economy.
All over the world, countries are trying to determine how to regulate a new type of transport — means of individual mobility, Russia is also making such a decision, Mikhail Blinkin, head of the Institute of Transport Economics and Transport Policy, explained to Izvestia.
— It seems to me that people should use scooters, electric bicycles as a means of entertainment and sports, which are appropriate only on private territory or at a stadium, but not on the roadway, — the expert believes. — If we take them out onto the roadway, then the number of serious accidents increases, if on foot, people's dissatisfaction increases sharply, which is why it is difficult for the authorities and they have to look for a compromise solution.
Izvestia sent requests to Ozon and Yandex. Market", as well as the largest sellers of electric bicycles, including Minako: Yandex.Shop, X5 Group and other operators cooperate with it. The Association of Retail Companies did not respond to editorial questions.
Wildberries told Izvestia that most of the company's couriers are on foot now, but they are closely monitoring initiatives related to the use of electric vehicles. If the new rules are approved, the retailer will take them into account in the operation of the service.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
