After the death of two girls in Riga who were riding a scooter and were hit by a train, the collection of signatures for tightening the rules for rented scooters and electric scooters in Latvia has noticeably intensified.
Currently, over 1800 signatures have been collected on the Manabalss portal. Residents of Latvia are calling on social media to sign for limiting chaos on the roads.
Let us remind you, the public initiative portal Manabalss.lv is collecting signatures so that only individuals aged 18 and over can use rented electric scooters. The representative of the initiative is Jānis Pauls Akermanis.
The initiative proposes the introduction of mandatory identity verification for users using an eID card or passport with photo verification. According to Akermanis, rental service providers of electric scooters and other light vehicles must implement technical solutions in their applications to control age.
Akermanis also believes that there should be accountability for companies if they do not verify the age of users or allow the possibility of circumventing the system, and introduce fines for those who intentionally register with the data of other individuals to bypass age restrictions.
Thus, according to the author of the initiative, it will be possible to reduce the number of road accidents, injuries, and fatalities involving minors, people will have confidence that these services are regulated and controlled, and parents will be reassured that their children cannot use rented electric scooters and bicycles without permission.
As reported, on October 1, two girls born in 2012 died near the Imanta station in Riga while riding an electric bicycle from "Ride Mobility" and were hit by a train. The Consumer Rights Protection Center (CRPC) ordered the suspension of the rental company's activities, and the mayor of Riga, Viesturs Kleinbergs, called for an assessment of its operations. On Friday, the CRPC announced that it would impose an administrative penalty on "Ride Mobility" for not suspending its activities in accordance with the center's requirement.
Let us remind you that on Thursday, October 2, the Consumer Rights Protection Center (PTAC) decided to suspend the services of the scooter and electric scooter sharing operator "Ride Mobility" (SIA "Ride"). This decision followed the mayor of Riga, Viesturs Kleinbergs' call to assess the company's activities, which was related to the death of two girls born in 2012 who, while using the "Ride Mobility" device, were hit by a train in Imanta. On Friday, PTAC announced that it would impose an administrative fine on "Ride Mobility" for not suspending its activities in accordance with PTAC's requirement.
PTAC urged all consumers, especially youth and their parents, to responsibly use shared transport means, adhering to the rules and laws established by service providers. PTAC also reminded that using electric scooters and other micromobility devices without proper training and age verification can pose serious risks both to the users themselves and to those around them. Latvians expressed their outrage on social media regarding the actions of the management of SIA "Ride."
Earlier, on October 1, a tragic incident occurred near the Imanta railway station: two girls riding a rented scooter were hit by a train. The ambulance reported that one of the girls died at the scene even before the medics arrived. Three medical teams attempted to save the second girl; however, the injuries were too severe.
