As we await the Jakarta administration’s regulation on the operation of personal mobility devices (PMDs), the Jakarta Metro Police has scooted ahead and enforced an almost total ban on e-scooters based on its interpretation of existing laws on transportation.
Starting yesterday, all e-scooters — rented or privately owned — are now forbidden on public roads, sidewalks and bicycle lanes and can only be operated in designated areas, which include the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) sports complex, Monas (the National Monument) and some public parks.
The police said that riding e-scooters outside of the designated areas is a violation of articles 282 and 104 of the 2009 Law on Traffic and Transportation (LLAJ), which subjects motorists who disobey police officers’ instructions to a fine of IDR250K (US$17.74).
That said, for the time being, police said that they will exercise some leniency in enforcing the law on e-scooter riders.
“For rented [e-scooters] or those that are privately owned, if they’re on the road, we will give them warnings. If they try to run, then we’ll fine them,” Jakarta Metro Police Spokesman Yusri Yunus told Kompas yesterday.
Recent social media posts by the Jakarta Metro Police Traffic Management Center show that officers have been giving violators verbal warnings instead of fines.
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The Jakarta administration is currently drafting regulations on e-scooter use in the city, which may end up superseding the police’s enforcement of articles 282 and 104 of the LLAJ. A city transportation official said that the regulations, which will likely be passed in December, may limit e-scooter use from 5am to 11pm and prohibit those under 15 from riding.
The drafting of the regulations came after two e-scooter riders were killed in a collision with a car, which police say was driven by a man who was under the influence of alcohol. Aside from the tragic incident, e-scooters also attracted controversy in Jakarta after several riders caused damages to a pedestrian bridge.
Ride-hailing app Grab, which operates the e-scooter-for-rent service GrabWheels, has said that it’s ready to comply with any government regulations on the electric vehicles.
GrabWheels launched earlier this year to become the first e-scooter-for-rent service in Indonesia. It quickly became popular among youths in Jakarta and Tangerang — mostly for recreational purposes — before officials were able to draft regulations on them.
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