E-scooter road insurance policy details not yet finalized

Compulsory road insurance must be purchased for heavier and faster electric scooters from December, but the final details are yet to be agreed upon. Registering vehicles has not been ruled out.
The new policy stems from a European Union directive which will be adopted by the end of the year. It will apply to vehicles that weigh at least 25 kilograms and have a top speed above 14 kilometers per hour.
"If a person is the owner of such a scooter, he or she will have to find an insurance company, just as he or she would find an insurer for his or her vehicle, and take out motor insurance," Siiri Tõniste, head of the financial services policy department of the Ministry of Finance, told Tuesday's "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK).
"There will be several ways to check [if a driver has insurance]. The police will also check the insurance of vehicles in traffic. The second, which will be carried out on vehicles, is a registration check," she added.

However, registration of scooters is not planned at the moment.
"There is no such plan to register them for the time being. It is not ruled out that this may be an option in the future. We are currently working on amendments to the Road Traffic Act which deals with vehicle insurance," said Tõniste.
It is also not yet clear what the insurance premium will be for a scooter.
Transport company Bolt, whose bright green electric scooters can be seen on the streets of Estonia's larger cities, does not think it will have much impact on the company.

"We have insurance on scooters. All of our scooter rides are insured, we have both accident and liability insurance, which means that third-party damages are covered if necessary," said Bolt's Head of Government Relations Henri Arras.
Another large scooter rental company Tuul did not comment to AK.
Experts believe the directive may not have much of an impact in Estonia.
"I would guess that about 30 percent of current users are using scooters heavier than 25 kilograms," said Frederik-Oliver Pikksaar, sales specialist at scooter retailer Tõuksimaailma.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Marko Tooming, Helen Wright
Source: Aktuaalne kaamera