95% of electric bicycles in Latvia already have OCTA: who will be fined now 0 19

In Latvia, almost all officially registered self-propelled bicycles have already obtained the mandatory OCTA insurance policy.

According to the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), as of the morning of May 12, there were 1,334 self-propelled bicycles registered in the country. Of these, 304 belong to private individuals, while another 1,030 are part of the Ride shared transport service.

The Latvian Bureau of Motor Vehicle Insurers (LBSTC) reported that as of the same date, 1,264 OCTA policies had been issued for such vehicles.

Thus, insurance has been purchased for approximately 95% of registered self-propelled bicycles.

What is important to know: since May 1, owners of unregistered electric bicycles without OCTA can be fined not only by police officers but also by municipal police.

The new requirements came into effect on April 1. They stipulate mandatory registration of self-propelled bicycles and obtaining OCTA insurance by the end of April.

In addition, these vehicles are now prohibited from moving on sidewalks.

In legislation, a self-propelled bicycle is considered a bicycle with an electric motor of up to 1,000 watts, which stops assisting at speeds above 25 kilometers per hour. An important distinction is that the electric drive can continue to operate even after the pedaling stops.

Using an unregistered self-propelled bicycle is subject to a fine of 30 to 70 euros.

If the vehicle participates in road traffic without OCTA, the owner may face a fine of 125 to 200 euros.

The LBSTC notes that there is currently no exact total number of self-propelled bicycles in the country, but data exchange with CSDD shows that most owners of registered vehicles have already complied with the requirements.

The introduction of new rules has become one of the largest attempts by the state to regulate the rapidly growing micromobility market and increase the responsibility of electric transport owners on the roads.