Shared electric scooters provided by Seoul (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on November 5 that it will become the first city in South Korea to designate “scooter-free zones” on streets with high accident risks, marking a significant shift in urban mobility management.
The city will also begin immediate towing of illegally parked e-scooters, with municipal officials, rather than private companies, handling enforcement in some cases.
These measures come in response to growing safety concerns over the proliferation of personal mobility devices (PMDs), speeding incidents, and abandoned vehicles obstructing pedestrian paths.
The new “scooter-free zones” will be implemented by the end of this year, starting with streets deemed most dangerous for e-scooter traffic. The city plans to gradually expand these zones following an initial pilot period.
In a major policy shift, illegally parked e-scooters will be towed immediately upon report, eliminating the current three-hour grace period given to rental companies for voluntary removal.
This stricter enforcement will take effect in December following a November adjustment period.
The city is also expanding a program where district officials directly handle towing operations. Following Gangnam District’s September initiative of hiring dedicated towing personnel, other districts will adopt similar measures.
Officials expect this approach will help prevent questionable practices by private towing companies, such as arbitrary towing and self-reporting schemes.
A recent public survey conducted from September 27-30 among 1,000 Seoul adult residents revealed widespread concerns about e-scooters. Nearly 80% of respondents reported experiencing inconvenience from e-scooters, with 75.5% citing collision risks as their primary concern, followed by sidewalk riding, illegal parking, and speeding.
The survey showed overwhelming public support for stricter regulations, with 93.5% of respondents favoring strengthened towing regulations. Support for immediate towing of illegally parked scooters reached 85.5%, while 88.1% agreed with establishing no-riding zones.
The survey also found that 75.6% of respondents supported banning private rental services in Seoul, with only 11.6% opposed.
“We are committed to systematically addressing illegal e-scooter operation and parking to create a safer pedestrian environment where citizens no longer feel threatened,” said Yoon Jong-jang, head of Seoul urban transportation bureau.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
