Kuwait Authorities Consider New E-Scooter Regulations Amid Rising Safety Concerns
With e-scooters becoming a crucial mode of transportation in Kuwait, especially among expatriates, government are now considering new guidelines to ensure more secure usage underneath the country’s up to date visitors law. A source from the Ministry of Interior confirmed that proposed rules will outline hints for e-scooter use, inclusive of mandatory shielding equipment and operational situations. This flow comes amid growing worries over rider safety and the shortage of proper infrastructure to deal with e-scooters.
Growing Popularity and Existing Challenges
Although Kuwait has banned e-scooters on public roads on the grounds that 2020, riders hold to use them, navigating streets that lack the important infrastructure. Many customers, like Albert, a Filipino expatriate, rely on e-scooters as their number one mode of delivery because of high licensing fees and unreliable public transportation. Kuwait’s stringent visitors legal guidelines require a minimal revenue of KD 600 for a driving force’s license, making car ownership impossible for lots. “There’s no region for us on the street, so we need to be more careful and live to the side,” Albert explained, highlighting the daily risks faced via e-scooter riders.
Similarly, Haitham, an Egyptian expatriate, chooses an e-scooter for its comfort, frequently traveling among Salmiya and Hawally. He avoids high-risk areas to minimize the hazard of accidents. Another Indian expatriate, who has used an e-scooter for over a year, burdened the importance of steady vigilance. “I usually test carefully before turning proper or left,” he stated.
Rising Safety Concerns
Despite those precautions, e-scooter users stay vulnerable. A observe published in JAMA Network Open with the aid of the University of California, San Francisco, located that e-scooter injuries surged by using 45% from 8,566 in 2017 to 56,847 in 2022. Regionally, Dubai Police pronounced 254 e-scooter and bicycle-related injuries in 2024 by myself, resulting in 10 fatalities and 259 accidents—17 of them labeled as severe.
These alarming statistics have brought about international regulatory movements. Paris, as an instance, banned apartment e-scooters in 2023 following a spike in injuries and fatalities. Similarly, Kuwait authorities at the moment are considering new policies to improve protection at the same time as accommodating the increasing use of e-scooters.
Calls for Infrastructure Development
In Kuwait, where micromobility is gaining traction in spite of constrained infrastructure, riders are advocating for more secure situations. “We desire to have a unique lane for us on the facet so it will be safer,” stated Judy, a 48-year-old Filipino resident. Haitham echoed her issues, wishing for dedicated lanes subsequent to excessive-traffic areas like Marina Mall.
According to the Ministry of Interior, upcoming urban development plans will include targeted e-scooter and bicycle lanes in newly constructed areas. However, until those projects are completed, riders will must depend upon caution to navigate the roads correctly.
Research Findings and Proposed Solutions
A examine through Kuwait University researchers Sharaf AlKheder and Zahra Albaghli, titled Identifying Barriers and Benefits of Shared E-Scooters in Promoting Sustainability in Kuwait, identifies numerous challenges confronted via e-scooter customers. The loss of car registration poses a sizeable problem, making it difficult to modify usage, song ownership, and put in force traffic laws.
Other protection worries include unlawful sidewalk parking, the absence of vital safety functions like seatbelts or airbags, and unrestricted utilization by way of minors. Many kids ride e-scooters unsupervised, growing twist of fate risks. Furthermore, the absence of devoted visitors signs and symptoms for e-scooters and poorly integrated paths make a contribution to unsafe driving situations.
Towards Safer E-Scooter Integration
Addressing these issues thru updated rules will no longer best beautify avenue protection however additionally legitimize e-scooters as a viable transportation alternative in Kuwait. Establishing clean pointers, enforcing age restrictions, and developing committed lanes will assist create a more secure surroundings for riders and pedestrians alike.
As Kuwait prepares for the future of micromobility, authorities should strike a balance among regulating e-scooter use and fostering sustainable city mobility solutions. With proper infrastructure and properly-described regulations, e-scooters can be incorporated into Kuwait’s transportation system, presenting a more secure and extra efficient opportunity for every day commuters.
