Electric scooters, personal number plates arrive

The Ministry of Infrastructure announced in a note that it had issued a decree regulating identification marks for electric scooters. It is, the MIT explains, 'a sort of personal number plate'.

"In order to overcome the current anonymity of the vehicles and allow for more effective control in the event of infringements or accidents,' reads the MIT communiqué, 'the regulation provides for each driver to equip his or her scooter with an identifying, personal and non-transferable tag. It is not a traditional number plate nor a registration system, in order to avoid excessive burdens for citizens, but a simple and light technical support to be physically installed on the vehicle'. The decree defines the size, shape and positioning of the sign: it will have to be applied visibly on the scooter, preferably in the centre of the rear mudguard, if the specific housing is present, or in the front part of the steering column, at a height of between 20 centimetres and 1.20 metres from the ground.

The MIT reports that "discussions are underway with the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato to define the costs of production, shipment and sale price (VAT included), with the aim of guaranteeing sustainable rates for citizens". "The provisions on the badge," the Mit note recalls, "represent a fundamental prerequisite for making the RCA insurance obligation operative as well, in addition to strengthening roadside checks. "With this in mind, MIT has already requested from the Ministry of the Interior and Anci the data on sanctions for violating the helmet obligation, in order to monitor the actual application of the rule and assess its impact".

"After the helmet requirement, which has been in force since 14 December, now comes the decree regulating compulsory number plates for scooters: a common sense measure that finally makes it possible to identify those who use this means of transport, especially in the event of accidents or violations of the Highway Code. It is not acceptable that one can run over a person and disappear without a trace. Identification is an essential step to ensure more safety and more justice on our roads. Thanks to Minister Matteo Salvini for his courage and determination to put an end to the urban Wild West caused by the absence of rules'. This was stated by the League's deputies in the Transport Commission Elena Maccanti (group leader), Andrea Dara, Domenico Furgiuele, Riccardo Augusto Marchetti and Massimiliano Panizzut.