Yeonsu District in Incheon is moving to designate certain roads where electric scooters will be banned in order to protect pedestrian safety.
The district announced on November 6 that it has issued a legislative notice for a full revision of the “Ordinance on the Promotion of Safety for the Use of Personal Mobility Devices (PM),” which centers on measures such as these. The move comes after a recent incident in which a mother in her 30s was struck by an unlicensed electric scooter in the area.
With a sharp rise in accidents related to illegal operation or reckless abandonment of personal mobility devices such as electric scooters, the district has decided to overhaul the ordinance first enacted in 2022. The revised ordinance includes provisions to strengthen pedestrian safety, clarify the responsibilities of rental businesses, establish accident response systems, and address the handling of abandoned electric scooters.
First, the district mayor will be able to designate certain sections as “scooter-free streets,” prohibiting the operation of personal mobility devices on those roads. This measure aims to secure pedestrian safety by preemptively blocking scooter traffic in areas with high foot traffic, such as the academy district in Songdo. To this end, the district stated that it has reached a consensus with the police, who have the authority under current law to designate “scooter-free streets,” through work-level consultations.
The revision also allows the district to provide full or partial financial support, within budget limits, to corporations, organizations, or individuals that promote safety initiatives or education related to personal mobility devices.
Additionally, the district plans to hold a meeting with rental companies within this month and will strongly request the implementation of a “license verification system” to check driver’s licenses when renting out scooters.
Lee Jaeho, Mayor of Yeonsu District, stated, “We will focus our administrative resources on developing a range of measures to resolve pedestrian safety accidents and illegal parking issues caused by the use of personal mobility devices.”
Previously, on the afternoon of the 18th, a woman in her 30s, identified as Ms. A, who was trying to protect her young daughter, was left in critical condition after being struck by an electric scooter ridden by two unlicensed middle school students in Yeonsu District.
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