Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Mayor of Tallinn Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) said: "Meetings are to be held in the coming days with the respective companies, to discuss the draft regulation in more detail and to get feedback, but broadly it will be based on the legal options available to us. The key aspects concern parking and vehicle speed."

Parking will be restricted using designated parking areas, the mayor said. Rental companies must adjust their vehicle software to ensure parking is only possible in these designated areas.

"In essence, under the leadership of the transport department, additional steps are being taken to widen the network of parking zones from the city center to other areas, so that the parking chaos seen in other districts would also be reduced compared with today," the mayor went on.

As for speed limits, these would be location-dependent, with traffic safety kept in view, he added.

"We have agreed to make an exception to the usual 25 kilometers-per-hour speed limit, so that in the city center, the maximum speed limit will be 20 kilometers per hour. In the most dangerous areas, which are described at regulation level as being parks, educational institutions, and public transport stops, we will assess case-by-case, and where the situation is genuinely hazardous, we will reduce the speed to a general norm of 15 kilometers per hour," the mayor continued.

In the Old Town, the scooters' speeds would be reduced further still, to 10 kilometers per hour.

"In fact, we do not want mini mopeds to be used there at all," Ossinovski said.

The transport department is currently developing a map which will show all parking zones and speed limits, Ossinovski said, adding this map will be made available to riders following discussions with the companies concerned.

"The goal is to approve the regulation at the city government meeting next Tuesday, after the public disclosure period has passed," the mayor added. The regulation needs to be enacted quickly due to traffic safety concerns, he said.

The regulation also includes a directive for companies working in the sector to implement effective measures to ensure their services comply with legal requirements.

"This relates to age restrictions, riding on the sidewalks, something which is prohibited for mopeds, and also riding alone or with passengers. The law forbids this as well, but we know that such violations are quite common," Ossinovski added.

The distinctive red rentable mini mopeds, operated by Latvian firm Ride Mobility, appeared on the streets of Tallinn last month, adding to the e-scooter services already made available by Bolt and Tuul.

Not long after the introduction of the mopeds, which are considerably sturdier than e-scooters, complaints started to emerge over their use, particularly on sidewalks and also by minors.

The moped app currently does not verify users' age.

Under the current regulations, the speed limit for rental scooters stands at 25 kilometers per hour, while riding on sidewalks is prohibited.

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