Latvian company's electric mopeds hit Tallinn streets

On Tuesday evening, the Latvian company Ride Mobility introduced rentable mini-mopeds to the streets of Tallinn.
Ride Mobility had previously announced plans to bring 1,000 mini-mopeds to Tallinn, but the full fleet will not be made available at once. Instead, the mopeds will be introduced gradually. The vehicles are capped at a top speed of 25 kilometers per hour (15.5 miles per hour).
The arrival of rentable mopeds has also sparked debate within the Tallinn city government over how to ensure road safety.
This week, the Tallinn City Council is expected to approve a regulation that would grant the city government the authority to impose usage rules for rental light vehicles, mini-mopeds and bicycles. These regulations would include traffic rules, technical requirements and the ability to set geographical, time-based, speed and parking restrictions.
Tallinn Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) said on Wednesday on the "Vikerhommik" radio show that no group of road users is entirely without issues, but in his view, the concerns around rental mopeds mirror those associated with other light vehicles.
While rental mopeds have been operating in Latvia and Lithuania for several years, Estonia's rules differ. According to Järvan, in Latvia and Lithuania, mini-mopeds are allowed on sidewalks, whereas Estonia's laws are stricter. "Here, they are only permitted on roadways, bike paths, bike lanes and combined pedestrian and bicycle paths," he explained.

--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Barbara Oja, Marcus Turovski