Lisbon limits e-scooters speed to 20 km/h

The city also established a quota for circulating two-wheelers on its streets to avoid overcrowding

The Lisbon City Council has concluded an agreement with the five soft mobility operators, which stipulates stricter rules for the e-scooters circulating on the street. The agreement with the private sector firms aims to introduce some orderliness in the street traffic scene, which has been upturned due to the rapid proliferation of the two-wheelers.

Notably, the speed limit of the scooters has been lowered to 20 km/h as a way to decrease the possibility and severity of accidents involving these devices. Another point in the agreement stipulates that the scooters must have their own designated parking spots and not be left haphazardly.

In addition to these two measures, to lessen the overcrowding caused by scooter traffic in the city, the municipality and operators also agreed on a maximum number of vehicles in circulation. That will be 1,500 per operator in winter and it may go up to 1,750 in spring and summer.

Solving the three main problems caused by e-scooters

The three main points of the public-private agreement are intended to regulate the new traffic reality on the streets and pavements of the Portuguese capital. The private operators, however, have two months to implement the changes.

As The Portugal News reported, mayor Carlos Moedas would have liked the amendments to be even far more reaching, and that even 20 km/h was still too fast for his taste.

According to the mayor, Lisbon Council will also inform scooter riders of 'hotspots' where the scooters will have to be parked. If they are not in the hotspot, it will not be possible to complete the trip and payment will continue to be deducted through the application.

Moedas also asked the Government to delegate powers to municipalities so that they can be responsible for licensing scooters, which currently does not happen.