Electric scooters soon to be allowed on Dutch roads

Electric mini scooters will soon be allowed on Dutch roads, provided they have passed safety checks and are fitted with a licence plate, infrastructure minister Barry Madlener has told the Telegraaf.

Currently, it is illegal to use one of the popular scooters, known as a step in Dutch, on public roads and users face a €380 fine if they are caught.

However, Madlener told the paper he expects the first models to be approved for use in the Netherlands shortly.

All “light electric vehicles without pedals” will be required to have number plates so that officials can verify whether they are road-legal and take action in cases of traffic violations, the minister said.

Existing vehicles – such as segways and the motorised transporters used by daycare centres – will have until July next year to comply, Madlener said.

The cost of a licence plate will be €18 for existing vehicles and €50 for new ones.

Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht have previously said they do not want the electric scooters to add to the pressure on Dutch cycle paths.

The ban has also allowed Dutch towns and cities to see off plans to introduce so-called shared scooter services, such as Lime and Bird, which have caused problems in cities such as Paris and Berlin.

In 2023, a large majority of Paris residents voted to ban the scooters in a city-wide referendum.