E-scooter crackdown fails as most councils ignore the law

Local authorities across Israel are failing to enforce regulations on electric scooters despite tougher penalties and expanded powers for municipal inspectors, according to exclusive data from road safety organisation Or Yarok. The figures reveal a stark disparity in enforcement, with most councils barely penalising riders of the two-wheeled vehicles, even as the government has attempted to crack down on what many see as a safety hazard on city streets.

Tel Aviv leads the country in enforcement action, issuing tens of thousands of citations annually to scooter riders who breach traffic laws. The capital’s approach stands in stark contrast to other major municipalities. Holon has taken a hardline stance by imposing an outright ban on shared scooter schemes, whilst Jerusalem presents a puzzling case where municipal inspectors were granted enforcement powers but failed to conduct any enforcement activity over the past year.

The inconsistent approach across different councils has created a patchwork of regulation, leaving riders confused about what is and isn’t permitted in their area. The data suggests that without consistent enforcement from local authorities, even stricter penalties and broader powers granted to inspectors remain largely ineffective. Road safety advocates have raised concerns that the lack of uniform enforcement undermines attempts to reduce accidents and injuries involving electric scooters, which have become increasingly popular in Israeli cities over recent years.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.