HELSINKI — Finland introduced a ban on the use of electric scooters by children under the age of 15 on Tuesday (June 17), and scooter rental companies will now require municipal licences to continue offering their services.

The legislation on so-called micromobility approved by parliament last month is part of a broader ramping up of regulations on e-scooters in Europe, where their use has expanded rapidly in recent years.

Italy, for example, has mandated that e-scooter riders wear helmets and possess insurance, while authorities in Paris and Madrid have banned e-scooter rental services.

"This is a situation that has got completely out of hand, and now it just needs to be brought under control," Lulu Ranne, Finland's transport and communications minister, told Reuters.

"I hope that in this way we can enjoy scootering safely and according to the rules, and at the same time save lives," she added.

Finnish authorities estimate that around 1,600 people are seriously injured annually in accidents involving e-scooters. There have been at least six deadly incidents in the past five years, they say, and some 600 children sustained injuries that required hospital care during the same period.

The new legislation also makes e-scooter users subject to the same blood alcohol limits applied to automobile drivers, bans their use while under the influence of drugs, and sets a maximum speed limit of 25 kph (15.5 mph), Finnish transport and communications agency Traficom said.

E-scooter rental companies operating in Finland include US-based Neutron Holding's Lime, Sweden's Voi Technology, Norwegian firm Ryde Technology and Germany's Tier Mobility.

It was not immediately clear how the licencing requirement would affect their operations in Finland.

Companies can face fines if they do not respect the new age limit, the ministry said, and liability for knowingly allowing underage driving can also fall upon parents.

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Source: Reuters