Cyprus lawmakers are considering tighter e-scooter rules amid a sharp rise in complaints and accidents involving electric scooters and other personal mobility devices.
Two bills were tabled before the House plenary on 17 September and referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Transport for discussion. The proposals would introduce a registration system for personal mobility devices and make their use by people under 17 an offence.
Registration and identification plates
The proposal submitted by Direct Democracy MP Dimitris Souglis would require electric scooters and other personal mobility devices to be registered with the Transport Ministry.
Under the proposal:
- Owners would apply for registration and pay a fee.
- For devices owned by people under 17, a parent or guardian would submit the application.
- The Transport Ministry would set the procedures and fees for registration, transfer and deletion.
- Authorities would check whether a device meets the legal requirements before registration.
- Registered devices would receive a certificate and identification markings.
- Each device would have to carry a special identification plate.
- Using a device without a plate, or removing, altering, covering or falsifying its details, would constitute an offence.
The proposed penalty could reach up to one year in prison, a fine of up to €3,000, or both.
The relevant proposal is listed in the House’s 2026 legislative records as an amendment to the law regulating the movement of bicycles and other personal mobility devices.
Under-17 use could become an offence
A second proposal, submitted by DIKO MP Chrysanthos Savvidis, would make the use of an electric scooter or other personal mobility device by anyone under 17 an offence.
A convicted minor could face a fine of up to €1,500, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
The proposal would also allow police officers, municipal traffic wardens or other authorised personnel to confiscate the device following a violation.
For rented scooters, operators would be required to provide the user’s details to the police, municipality or community when formally requested.
Parents and guardians would also have a legal responsibility to take the necessary measures to prevent children under 17 from using such devices. Similar obligations would apply to owners and people responsible for the custody or management of a device.
Failure to prevent use by an under-17 could carry a fine of up to €5,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.
Complaints and accidents on the rise
Figures presented by the Cyprus Police to the Transport Committee on 10 September showed a significant increase in complaints and reported incidents involving personal mobility devices.
Two injury incidents were recorded in 2024, including one serious case. In 2025, the number rose to 15, including six serious incidents.
So far in 2026, nine incidents have been recorded, including two fatal and four serious cases. Nine of the incidents recorded across the period involved minors.
Police figures also show a sharp increase in complaints. There were 2,499 complaints in 2024, 2,766 in 2025 and 5,141 from the beginning of 2026 to the latest available figures.
According to police, most complaints concern the use of electric scooters in areas where their use is prohibited.
The two proposals remain under parliamentary consideration and have been referred to the Transport Committee for discussion; they have not yet become law.
Also read: E-scooter laws face enforcement concerns
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