Private transport

Bulgaria emerges as a standout performer in the European Union's automotive market, boasting the second-highest growth rate in new car sales, according to data released by the Association of Automobile Manufacturers in Europe (ACEA).

New rules, restrictions and sanctions for the use of scooters and electric scooters in Sofia are proposed in amendments to the "Ordinance on the organization of traffic on the territory of the Capital Municipality". They will be submitted by the chairman of the Metropolitan Municipal Council, Georgi Georgiev, and published for public discussion.

After initially entering daily life as a means of recreation, electric scooters have now become a means of transport in their own right.

With the number of electric scooters in Greece estimated to have exceeded 60,000, experts stress the need for more training and awareness among motorists.

Electric scooters are an environmentally friendly, fast and easy way to get around. However, more and more accidents are happening with them, which makes some cities in the country think about introducing bans and restrictions on moving with them. Fines for violations are between BGN 10 and BGN 50.

The average age of people using e-scooters in Turkey is 27, with the number of riders growing by the day, Kadir Can Abdik, the CEO of BinBin Scooters, has said.

"From 17 to 65, people [of all ages] ride e-scooters. The average age is 27 because it is a very new business sector," Abdik of BinBin, one of the 12 companies operating in Istanbul, told state-run Anadolu Agency on Nov. 22.

There will be rules for the movement of electric drones in changes to the Road Transport Act. Changes to the law have been published on the Council of Ministers' Public Consultation Portal.

The rules for electric scooters are ready. They will be equivalent to bicycles - they will be able to cycle on bike lanes or on streets that have a speed limit of up to 50 km / h.

All people aged over 16 will be legally able to drive the electric scooters. Children between the ages of 14 and 16 will only be able to ride the scooters on bike lanes.

Traffic police officers are beginning to sanction the owners of electric scooters, as they are not legally allowed to move on the road network in Bulgaria, the head of the Traffic Police-Sofia Commissioner Lyubomir Kostadinov told the BNR.

Kostadinov added that the first incidents with scooters were registered. And he appeals to the drivers to be very careful.

Electric scooters will only be able to be rented if registered and with a speed limit. Experts from the State Agency for Road Traffic Safety held the first of a series of meetings announced with local authorities about the forthcoming amendments to the Road Traffic Act to regulate the use of such vehicles.

The electric scooters that have appeared in the country since the beginning of the year seem to have taken streets in central Athens and Thessaloniki by storm.
However, despite the initial enthusiasm, concerns are now growing due to the fact that there are no official traffic rules or legislation governing the scooters' circulation on the streets.