Cyprus is planning to tighten the rules governing the use of electric scooters. A draft of the new decree has already been put out for public consultation, which will run until September 26, 2026. After that, the document will be submitted for legal review. According to Public Works Department representative Charis Christodoulou, police officers and municipal traffic inspectors will be given the right to temporarily confiscate electric scooters.
The measure will be applied together with a fine. A scooter may be seized for a period of 30 to 90 days. After the first 30 days, the owner will be able to pay the prescribed court fee and retrieve the device. If this is not done, it will remain in storage until court proceedings begin.
Which violations will lead to confiscation
The new rules provide for the confiscation of an electric scooter in three cases:
- if the rider uses it in a prohibited area,
- if the rider is under 17 years old,
- if the established maximum speed of 25 km/h is exceeded.
The minimum age had already been raised in April 2026, from 14 to 17. In Cyprus, electric scooters may be used on cycle lanes and on roads with a speed limit of up to 30 km/h. Their use is prohibited on ordinary urban roads with a 50 km/h speed limit.
The authorities explain the stricter rules by pointing to the characteristics of scooters. Small wheels cope poorly with potholes and uneven road surfaces, riders must constantly maintain their balance, and both the device and the rider may be difficult for other road users to see, especially at night. High speeds create an additional risk, particularly for inexperienced users.
More than 100 parking spaces to appear in Nicosia
For Cypriot cities, the problem is not limited to road safety, but also includes the chaotic parking of electric scooters. Nicosia Mayor Charalambos Prountzos said that, as part of the new licensing cycle for rental companies, the city has allocated more than 100 parking spaces for scooters. Work on setting them up will begin in the near future.
Rental electric scooters must have a municipal licence and may only operate on approved routes. If a scooter leaves the designated area, the device must automatically shut down. However, the municipality has already recorded cases where GPS tracking was disabled, so the new licences are expected to include the automatic revocation of an operator’s permit if one of its scooters is used on a prohibited route.
Cyprus wants to control speed and privately owned scooters
The Mayor of Nicosia also proposed restricting the import of privately owned electric scooters capable of reaching speeds above the legal limit, as well as considering the introduction of mandatory helmets and other protective equipment. At the same time, the authorities do not intend to abandon micromobility altogether. Electric scooters are seen as a way to reduce car use in cities and ease pressure on the road network. This is particularly relevant for Nicosia, where around 50,000 students study.
The new measures have become especially relevant following several serious accidents in recent months. The authorities are now trying to preserve the benefits of micromobility while making the use of electric scooters in Cyprus safer and more controlled.
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