Kuala Lumpur dwellers have grown to love commuting around the city with electronic scooters ever since it was rolled out last year.
Nevertheless, the authorities are imposing legal action on individuals who ride e-scooters on public roads, starting 1st January 2021.
Kuala Lumpur Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department chief Zulkefly Yahya said that there have been a lot of complaints from the public regarding the usage of e-scooters on the road. Riding e-scooters on the road could potentially disrupt the flow of traffic and cause accidents.
Zulkefly said, “E-scooters are not allowed to be used on the road. They are a nuisance to other road users, besides being dangerous as they can cause accidents. These people (e-scooter riders) can only ride in gazetted areas, that is in playgrounds and permitted areas in shopping centres.”
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According to him, e-scooter riders who wish to use the vehicle on the road would have to request for a special permission licence from the director-general of the Road Transport Department (JPJ). He also added that the police have identified three major areas where the scooters are actively used, “namely around Dataran Merdeka, KLCC and Bukit Bintang.”
As of now, cops are only advising e-scooter users to not ride them on public roads. However, Zulkefly stated that, starting 1st January, action could be taken under the Road Transport Act, with fines imposed on such individuals.
To all city dwellers out there, don’t be bummed out! You can still ride your e-scooters around parks and sidewalks, just not public roads.
Source: Malay Mail
