Are you wondering if an electric scooter is legal in Dubai? There are many places in and around Dubai that you may consider renting or buying cheaper transportation, like an electric scooter, to get you from point A to point B.
However, as electric scooters aren’t legal everywhere, you may wonder if they are legal in Dubai.
The rules for riding electric scooters aren’t the same across Dubai, in Abu Dhabi, you aren’t allowed to ride an electric scooter with a seat or drive on the main road or anywhere where the speed limit is more than 40 kilometers per hour. Furthermore, you must wear proper safety gear.
Despite these strict rules, Dubai has launched a program allowing people to rent electric scooters for transportation. This share bike system is meant to help the people of Dubai reduce their carbon footprint.
Nevertheless, you must know the laws surrounding using an electric scooter before renting one. Failing to comply with the law may lead to fines.
Can You Ride An Electric Scooter In Dubai?
As the price of fuel increases, more and more people are looking for more affordable ways to get to work or wherever they need to be.
In addition, the UAE government is looking for ways to reduce the country’s carbon footprint. As a result, electric scooters are becoming a more popular mode of transportation.
Electric scooters are economical, readily available, and easy to ride. Therefore, the Dubai government has also introduced rent scooters that allow you to rent an electric scooter to travel from place to place.
However, after introducing electric scooters, there were more recorded accidents, which led to new laws regarding the use of electric scooters in Dubai.
In Abu Dhabi, you can no longer ride an electric scooter with a seat, and you may not sit down while riding it. In addition, you may not ride faster than 20 kilometers (12.42 miles) per hour on an electric scooter.
Furthermore, you may not ride your electric scooter on main roads or anywhere where the speed limit exceeds 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) per hour.
You may also not drive an electric scooter in the pedestrian lane, leading to pedestrians getting injured.
Finally, you are encouraged to wear a helmet and install safety gear on your electric scooter if you intend to use it for daily commuting. Many of these rules now also apply to cyclists.
In addition, you aren’t allowed to ride pillion on a bicycle unless it has a proper pillion seat and safety equipment, such as a helmet, for the passenger.
Failure to comply with these laws will result in fines and other penalties. As these laws were designed solely to protect pedestrians, motorists, and people using electric scooters, it’s ultimately best to comply with them.
Are The Fines For Riding An Electric Scooter In Dubai?
Whether you agree with the laws regarding electric scooters or not is irrelevant, as you will be fined or punished if you don’t obey them. Failing to comply with the rules of riding an electric scooter may result in an AED 200 fine or more.
As you may not be aware of all the laws on riding electric scooters in Dubai, I thought it’d be wise to discuss some of the most basic ones.
However, there are many rules and stipulations in this regard, so learning them all will be beneficial if you intend to use an electric scooter often in Dubai. Here are the basic rules when riding an electric scooter in Dubai.
- You must be at least 16 to have an electric scooter in Dubai.
- You are required to wear a helmet when riding an electric scooter.
- You may not ride an electric scooter while sitting down.
- The speed limit while riding a scooter is 20 kilometers per hour, and you may not ride an electric scooter on open roads.
- You cannot stop or hinder cars or pedestrians while riding an electric scooter.
- You may not ride an electric scooter in the pedestrian lane.
- You are not allowed to ride an electric scooter with headphones/earbuds in both ears.
- You must abide by all the same traffic rules as motorists.
Remember that failing to comply with these rules may result in fines and penalties. However, you may agree with me when saying that these rules aren’t too farfetched.
In fact, most of them seem to be purely for safety reasons. Therefore, abiding by them shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Do You Need A Permit For An Electric Scooter In Dubai?
Because there are such strict guidelines in Dubai about riding an electric scooter, you may be interested to know if you require a permit. While there are permits for riding an electric scooter, you don’t necessarily require one.
If you already have your driver’s license, the government assumes you are responsible and know the road rules. Therefore, you don’t need a specific scooter permit if you already have a driver’s license.
Although you may already have a driver’s license, doing the online training and familiarizing yourself with the rules of riding an electric scooter is still recommended.
If you don’t have a valid driver’s license, you must apply for an electric scooter permit on the RTA website. You must learn the rules of riding an electronic scooter and will have a theory test that you must pass to get an electric scooter permit in Dubai.
Furthermore, you must know where you are allowed to ride an electric scooter in Dubai before getting your permit or hiring one.
Specific routes are allocated to electric scooter drivers, and you are only allowed to drive your scooter on these. The ten districts where electric scooters are allowed to ride include:
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard
- Dubai Internet City
- 2nd Of December Street
- Jumeirah Lakes Towers
- Al Rigga
- City Walk
- The Palm Jumeira
- Al Karama
- Al Qusais
- Al Mankhool
You will receive a fine if you ride an electric scooter outside these zones. What’s more, you can get in an accident when riding an electric scooter outside of these zones, as they aren’t considered safe.
What Safety Gear Does A Scooter Need In Dubai?
Speaking of safety, you should know that there is certain safety gear you must install on your electric scooter before driving it in Dubai.
Electric scooters need this safety gear to increase their visibility and ensure drivers, motorists, and pedestrians are safe. When using an electric scooter in Dubai, the scooter must have the following safety equipment:
- A red rear light connected to the electric scooter’s brakes
- A white headlight so oncoming traffic can see you
- Reflectors or a red night light to increase your visibility
- A horn connected to the handlebars
Failing to install this safety gear on your electric scooters may also result in fines. You don’t have to worry when using a rent scooter, as most of them come with the necessary gear already attached.
While some of the rules and safety regulations may seem excessive, they are put in place to ensure that everyone using the roads in Dubai have a safe journey.
Therefore, I would recommend you pay attention to them and ensure that you are familiar with the laws regarding using electric scooters in Dubai before riding one.