The Moscow Department of Transport has alerted rental services with a formal notice proposing higher penalties for the shared use of electric scooters. The department also indicated a potential fine of 100 thousand rubles for the act of steering a scooter while holding a child. This information was shared on a Telegram channel run by an independent publication that tracks city transport developments.
Officials stressed that penalties already exist for rideshare users and repeatedly emphasized that traveling with children on electric scooters is not acceptable. The publication notes that the hard line on this issue mirrors existing regulations for other online mobility services.
The letter to rental operators followed a widely circulated online video showing a couple riding an electric scooter around Moscow’s Third Transport Ring with a child on the back seat. The ministry reported that authorities used cameras and vehicle license plates to identify violators. Those individuals have received fines, and the case is under the guidance of the prosecutor general’s office for review.
Online footage depicted a man carrying a bag that held a child on his back while also operating the scooter. His companion walked ahead, potentially obstructing the rider’s view of the road. The rental company involved in the incident has since suspended the individuals’ access to its services.
There have been prior sightings of unusual mobility scenes in the city, including a video showing a canine companion accompanying a scooter user as they moved through the streets of Moscow. [Source: Moscow Department of Transport and city transit observers]