Currently, Monegasque regulations prohibit the use of both electric and non-electric scooters on roads and sidewalks, except for on the Albert-I quay and on the Larvotto promenade. This also applies to skateboards and roller skates.
A man, who was recently warned by a Police Officer in Monaco for using a scooter on the road, believes the regulation contradicts the Principality’s environmentally friendly reputation. The man in question decided to leave his Harley-Davidson home for a couple reasons: an environmental reason and because his short commute only took him between Fontvieille and Port Hercule. So he purchased an electric scooter at a local shop, one with a speed of around 25 km/h. On his first trip aboard his new two-wheeled electric scooter, the man drove on the road, not on the sidewalk, as it would’ve been too dangerous for pedestrians. At the roundabout in Place d’Armes, a policeman pulled him over for an identity check, making it clear to him that the use of electric scooters is forbidden.
According to a municipal decree from 2006 by the Department of Equipment, Environment and Urbanism, this is regulation is partly due to security reasons, as the sharing of pedestrian spaces can be difficult and even dangerous with vehicles that can reach more than 30 km/h, especially for children.
In 2006, electric scooters were extremely uncommon and a reconsideration is underway to take into account the use of scooters on certain pedestrian zones in certain secure spaces, limited to the field of leisure and not as a mode of transportation from one district to another or across the Principality.
After obtaining a verbal warning from the policeman, the scooter-owner has (half-heartedly) dusted off his powerful, more polluting motorcycle to make his daily commute. However, electric and pedal-powered bicycles are still an environmentally conscious and non-restricted option for Monegasque commuters.
