Leaving Electric Kickboards Unattended Will Cost 30,000 Won... Ulsan City to Begin Towing Next Year

Amendment to Citizen Safety Ordinance, Detailed Standards to Be Established by Year-End

Starting next year in Ulsan, impounded measures will be implemented for personal mobility devices (electric scooters) that are left unattended without authorization.

Currently, three companies operate approximately 6,000 shared personal mobility devices in the Ulsan area.

Ulsan City has been implementing various policies such as establishing dedicated parking lots and zones, operating illegal parking report centers, and conducting education and publicity campaigns to address citizen inconvenience and the negative impact on the city's appearance caused by unauthorized parking of personal mobility devices.

As the number of users increases, there have been ongoing concerns about not only inconvenience to pedestrians but also the heightened risk of safety accidents due to personal mobility devices left unattended on sidewalks and other areas.

In response, Ulsan City partially amended the "Ulsan Metropolitan City Ordinance for the Promotion of Safe Use of Personal Mobility Devices" on September 12 and will begin enforcement starting next year to resolve citizen inconvenience and establish pedestrian safety measures.

From next year, when a citizen reports an unattended personal mobility device, a towing agency commissioned by the district or county will carry out the towing operation.

A towing fee of 30,000 won will be charged to the shared electric scooter company, which will then bill the final electric scooter user.

In preparation for the full implementation next year, Ulsan City will first establish detailed towing standards through a public-private consultative body consisting of 13 organizations, including Ulsan City, district and county offices, Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency, Ulsan Office of Education, Korea Transportation Safety Authority, and Korea Road Traffic Authority.

In addition, Ulsan City plans to promote and educate citizens about the towing system through various channels, including the city’s official website and social media platforms.

An official from Ulsan City stated, "The purpose of this towing system is not simply to tow, but to eradicate the unauthorized abandonment of electric scooters and prevent safety accidents," adding, "We will do our utmost to ensure that personal mobility devices become a convenient and safe smart mobility option for citizens."