Kazakhstan requires driving licences for electric scooter rentals

New regulations on electric scooter use have come into force in Kazakhstan, mandating that rental scooters must be registered, insured, and operated only by adults with a valid driving licence.

Signed into law by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the legislation prohibits the rental of scooters without registration numbers and mandatory liability insurance. Companies and individual entrepreneurs offering scooter rentals must insure each vehicle and assign it a unique registration number, or risk having their operations suspended.

According to Orda.kz, rental services are also required to:

• Conduct regular technical maintenance and immediately remove defective scooters;

• Warn users of fines for traffic violations;

• Monitor speed and routes using digital technologies;

• Automatically limit speed in restricted areas;

• Ensure scooters are not left in places that obstruct pedestrians or vehicles;

• Provide location data to authorised authorities.

Scooters can now only be rented by adults who possess a valid driving licence of any category.

Authorities hope that these measures will reduce accidents and chaotic scooter use in cities, improving overall road safety.

By Vugar Khalilov