Street cameras began to catch traffic violators on two-wheelers

The next electric scooter rental season has begun in Moscow. You can rent them, as before, near parks, metro stations, and on busy streets. But this year there was an important innovation. Numbers were installed on the scooters. As reported in the capital’s Department of Transport, cameras began to identify traffic violators using them. SZ figured out what the risks are for those who ride while ignoring the rules.

Next up are electric bicycles

On Svobody Street, not far from the Skhodnenskaya metro station, several operators offer scooters for rent. As before, this requires an app. I rent one of the scooters. There are white plates with a number on the front and back. For some operators it consists of six numbers, for others it also consists of letters. True, some scooters do not yet have signs. The capital’s Department of Transport assured: this will not last long.

“In the near future, numbers will appear on all rental scooters,” the department emphasized.

Using the codes on the signs, you can quickly figure out where, who and when violated the rules. This system has been in place for cars for a long time. Within a couple of days, drivers receive fines from cameras for speeding and running red lights. Now it’s the turn of electric scooters and electric bicycles, which will also be assigned numbers.

Emergency on the sidewalk

Video recording was introduced due to regular violations of the rules by scooter riders. Pedestrians become their victims. As reported by the Department of the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Internal Affairs Directorate for the North-Western Administrative District, only recently two such cases occurred in our district.

On Baryshikha Street, a 33-year-old man on a rented scooter hit a schoolgirl on the sidewalk. The girl was taken to the hospital with head injuries. And on Planernaya, a 48-year-old woman fell under the wheels of an electric bicycle. And again a head injury, and again a hospital. Both violators of traffic rules were fined.

What will they be punished for?

What violations are recorded by cameras? First of all, if the scooter rushes along the sidewalk, although there is a bike lane nearby. In this case, traffic regulations require driving along it. They recognize the complexes of those who did not dismount in front of the zebra. Traffic rules require you to get off the scooter before crossing, walk along it and roll the scooter next to you. The cameras also see those who ride an electric scooter together, which is also prohibited: the design of the device is designed for one person.

— The material is transferred to rental operators. For regular violations, drivers are blocked from the service, the Department of Transport said.

Reckless people are punished with rubles.

“We sometimes identify a dozen violators a day. Most often, scooter riders do not dismount in front of a zebra crossing. Inspectors fine violators on the spot for 800 rubles, the State Traffic Inspectorate said.

There are more “slow” zones

The Department of Transport added that this year there are more “slow” zones in Moscow, where scooters automatically reduce speed.

In our district, you need to slow down in the Severnoye Tushino and Mitino parks, in the walking areas on Lodochnaya Street, on Jan Rainis Boulevard. Recently, a “slow” zone appeared at Tushinskaya. Reason: here is both the metro and the MCD-2 station. There are always a lot of passengers.

Therefore, the scooter will not go faster than 10 km/hour. Although, in general, traffic rules allow driving at a speed of 25 km/h. It’s time to introduce forced speed limits in courtyards as well. The sidewalks here are usually narrow. It’s difficult for two people to separate. The risk of causing serious injury to a pedestrian at high speed is extremely high.