Regulation of e-scooters in South-Africa

Abstract

The introduction of micromobility modes, and specifically e-scooters, in many parts of the world have resulted in public complaints and road safety concerns. A central contributor to these challenges is the lack of clear regulation by relevant transport legislation. Consequently, transport authorities have been largely trying to regulate e-scooters retrospectively, resulting in their uncontrolled use in public areas. South-Africa is facing a similar dilemma, with the primary piece of transport legislation, the National Roads Traffic Act 93 of 1996, lacking practical definitions and regulations to provide a basis for the further development of guidelines and policy pertaining to e-scooter usage. This paper explores the current provisions of transport legislation in the South-African context and identifies certain shortcomings. The impact of these shortcomings is explained with reference to implementation strategies and current guidelines, such as the SARTSM manuals. Recent legislative amendments which regulate e-scooter use on public roads in the United Kingdom provides a comparative basis for recommendations in the South African context.