Saratov couriers will be banned from driving on sidewalks

The Ministry of Transport of Russia put forward for discussion a draft of large-scale amendments to traffic rules, which were prepared for more than two years. The main innovation: couriers will be officially banned from driving on sidewalks, and owners of powerful electric bicycles will have to confirm the right to manage a driver's license. Innovations are introduced to protect pedestrians, the department notes. The scale of the problem is confirmed by the figures: in Saratov for the first half of 2026 users of personal mobility (SIM) committed about two thousand violations of traffic rules.

According to the new project, electric scooters with engine power from 250 W to 4 kW will be equated to mopeds and transferred to the category of mechanical vehicles. The rules will also apply to electric bicycles with similar engine characteristics. To control such "iron horses" will require a driver's license category "M", which the driver must present at the request of an employee of the traffic police. In fact, the rules for them will become almost automobile: owners will have to check the serviceability of equipment before traveling, do not drive under the influence and do not leave the scene of an accident.

Couriers and owners of SIM weighing more than 35 kilograms will be prohibited from leaving on the sidewalks - they will have to move along the roadway. In other cases, the exit will be possible only in the absence of dedicated bike paths. However, questions remain to the document: how will traffic police officers measure the characteristics of equipment on the spot? The owner can claim that his transport weighs 34.7 kg, not 35. It is not possible to check it on the spot. About the obligation of owners to constantly carry technical documentation, which will indicate the power of the electric scooter or bicycle, as well as its weight, the draft of the Ministry of transport said nothing.

The largest number of “white spots” concerns couriers. It is not clear which penalty would be for driving without rights - an administrative fine or arrest, as for car drivers? Will it be considered a violation to take a short trip to the sidewalk to get to the house? And the main question is: where to get enough inspectors to monitor the SIM, if in recent years their activities are gradually replaced by video cameras?

Vyacheslav Antonov, a member of the Public Council at the Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of Saratov, expresses doubts about the safe coexistence of couriers with motorists on the roadway and fears an increase in the number of accidents.

- Scooters often violate the rules of the road: they fly at a red light; they ignore the fact that it is necessary to hurry at a pedestrian crossing, says Vyacheslav Antonov. Many are extremely risky, maneuvering in the flow of cars, like those shown in the criminal chronicles. As a result, a paradox arises: trying to protect pedestrians, scooters are trying to force out on the roadway, but this only creates new threats and risks of accidents.

The interlocutor of “MK in Saratov” notes that car drivers now have to keep their ears open. Due to the unpredictability of SIM users, motorists have to constantly monitor the space on the right and left, waiting for the sudden appearance of a maneuverable participant in the movement. In addition, the issue of insurance is acute. In case of an accident involving a courier, it is extremely difficult to obtain compensation, especially if the culprit is a nonresident or a person without official employment, Antonov explains.

According to the expert, it is time to recognize scooters as full-fledged road users, which implies the presence of a driver's license, mandatory liability insurance (analogue of OSAGO) and, possibly, a parking lot for violations. This will make people more responsible about managing a source of increased danger.