Odesa authorities have banned electric scooters from the Траса здоров’я, the coastal road running along the city’s central beaches, and say enforcement will now be stepped up with weekly joint raids.
The ban covers the full stretch from the Lanzheron checkpoint to the Fontan 16 checkpoint. The city council press service said only pedestrians and cyclists are allowed on that section, and that movement by electric scooters and other light personal electric vehicles is prohibited.
A joint inspection was carried out on July 31 by the city’s transport department, the municipal body known as SMEP, and the patrol police. Officers recorded 16 violations in total: eight adults, half of whom received formal police notices, and eight minors, whose parents were spoken to and given explanations of the rules.
City officials noted that rental scooters already carry software restrictions preventing them from operating on the route. All violations found during the raid involved privately owned devices.
From August 1, raids will be held weekly, the city council said. Residents and visitors were asked to follow the traffic rules in place, with the authorities warning that appropriate measures would be taken against those who break them.
The Траса здоров’я is a 15-kilometre paved road along the Black Sea coast popular with walkers, cyclists, rollerbladers, and joggers. The route has sports grounds, cycling ramps, cafes, and restaurants, and hosts sporting events. Despite the existing ban, scooter use on the road had previously led to arguments, fights, and accidents, including collisions that resulted in head injuries.
