District Urges Rental Companies to Implement License Verification System
On November 25, Yeonsu District in Incheon announced that it had requested the police to designate three areas with a high concentration of private academies as "scooter-free zones" to prevent electric scooter accidents.
The requested areas include the Millennium, Dream City, and Center Plaza areas in Songdo 1-dong; the Nexus, World Meridian, and Daekyung Suite Ria areas in Songdo 2-dong; and the vicinity of Nazareth International Hospital in Dongchun-dong.
Yeonsu District submitted a request for a review of these traffic safety measures to the Yeonsu Police Station the previous day. If the proposal is approved in the upcoming review, the operation of electric scooters will be prohibited in these three locations.
However, the district plans to specify the operating hours of the scooter-free zones, taking into account the unique characteristics of each area. In addition, the district will install signs announcing the prohibition, conduct a pilot period for public guidance, and then decide whether to expand the initiative based on the results.
Jaeho Lee, Mayor of Yeonsu District, Incheon (center), is discussing measures to prevent electric scooter safety accidents at the "Personal Mobility Traffic Safety Council Working Meeting" held on the 21st. Yeonsu District, Incheon
Previously, to promote the "scooter-free zone" initiative, the district analyzed areas with frequent illegal riding and unauthorized parking of electric scooters, as well as the demand for such measures, starting in June.
In September, the district held an "Incheon City Traffic Safety Council Working Meeting" to discuss the implementation of scooter-free zones. More recently, it has also established a legal basis for the project by submitting a related ordinance amendment to the Yeonsu District Council.
Alongside these efforts, the district has strongly urged rental companies to implement a system that verifies driver's licenses when using electric scooters. On the 21st, the district convened a "Personal Mobility Traffic Safety Council Working Meeting" to discuss comprehensive measures for preventing electric scooter accidents.
At the meeting, Yeonsu District Mayor Jaeho Lee strongly called on companies to strengthen their own safety measures and accountability, including enhancing license verification procedures, increasing crackdowns on illegal riding, and expanding operational personnel to ensure resident safety.
Mayor Lee stated, "As residents' anxiety over recent accidents has grown, companies must establish responsible management systems. We will swiftly implement effective policies to create a safer urban environment."
Previously, on the afternoon of October 18, a woman in her 30s, who was trying to protect her young daughter, was critically injured after being struck by an electric scooter ridden by two unlicensed middle school students in Yeonsu District.
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