Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber on Tuesday ordered the immediate closure of any shops selling electric scooters and tuk-tuks, due to the increasing number of accidents involving these vehicles on the capital’s streets.
Calling scooters ‘dangerous children’s toys’, Saber’s order included the confiscation of any scooter found operating illegally on the streets.
An informed source from the Cairo governorate stated that electric scooters travel at high speeds, and most of their users are youth, posing a risk to their lives and the lives of others.
Furthermore, they have caused numerous accidents recently, the source noted.
These electric scooters are not licensed by the Traffic Department, the source said, posing another risk related to their use in illegal activities such as theft and harassment, and an inability to identify the rider due to lack of license plates.
Professor of Local and Governmental Administration, Hamdy Arafa, explained that scooter licensing and route designation falls under the responsibility of the governors.
The governors of Cairo and Giza are the only ones who have officially banned this vehicle, he added.
Arafa pointed to Local Administration Law #43 of 1979 and Traffic Law #121 of 2008 and its amendments stipulate that electric scooters must be licensed by the traffic department and their routes designated by the governorates.
He also emphasized that 92 percent of electric scooter drivers are children under the age of 18.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
