Morocco to Implement New Safety Regulations for Electric Scooters and Personal Mobility Devices

The regulation concerns all motorized personal mobility devices including scooters, and will set the maximum dimensions, technical specifications and homologation criteria for each type of device of this kind, in accordance with Article 49 of Law 52.05 on the Highway Code. The aim is to ensure the safety of road users, reduce energy consumption, the production of non-recyclable waste and greenhouse gas emissions. This new regulation will therefore help to regulate the use of electric scooters on public roads in order to reduce the cases of fatal accidents recorded due to mopeds.

Several countries in Europe and North America have already adopted specific regulations for motorized personal mobility devices. This is the case of Spain, which for example imposes the wearing of a helmet on under-16s who are also not allowed to circulate on bus lanes and sidewalks reserved for pedestrians. Belgium, for its part, has set the maximum speed for electric scooters on the road at 18 km/h. Quebec, on the other hand, considers it a criminal offense to circulate on an electric scooter outside private roads and shopping centers.

The upcoming adoption of this regulation is a major step forward for Morocco where these devices are increasingly used, particularly in the metropolises. The ministry intends to carry out a comprehensive reform in terms of road safety, including a review of legal and regulatory texts in order to meet the challenges related to the application of the Highway Code.