The key facts
- The Ministry of Transport included a ban on couriers riding on sidewalks in a draft of amendments to the Traffic Rules, which is planned to be submitted for public discussion
- Automotive expert Andrei Lomanov suggested there may be a temporary rise in accidents after the ban is introduced
- The expert proposes not allowing couriers without identification marking to take orders
Ban for couriers and an expert's warning
The Ministry of Transport has proposed banning couriers on electric vehicles from riding on sidewalks and in pedestrian zones. The restrictions are included in a draft of amendments to the Traffic Rules, which is planned to be submitted for public discussion. Separately, the draft proposes classifying electric scooters and e-bikes with power from 250 W to 4 kW as mopeds.
Concerns: a transition period with rising accident rates
Automotive expert Andrei Lomanov on the air of Komsomolskaya Pravda radio warned that the ban will protect pedestrians, but at first it may lead to an increase in accidents. In his view, after the ban, courier traffic will become more orderly, but 'it will take time to fine-tune the system.'
What is seen as the main danger
Lomanov linked the main danger to the difference in speeds between the car flow and courier transport. Delivery workers will have to keep to the right edge of the roadway, but many of them, in the expert's assessment, still have a poor knowledge of the Traffic Rules and make dangerous maneuvers, so they will need training to ride among cars.
The role of delivery services
Delivery services themselves, the expert is confident, should also get involved in monitoring violations. Identification numbers on vehicles and gear make it possible to identify a specific courier, and without such marking, in Lomanov's opinion, couriers should not be allowed to take orders.
