Kyustendil Mayor warns parents over children riding electric scooters in traffic

The Mayor of Kyustendil, Ognyan Atanasov, has issued an urgent plea to parents following reports of dozens of children riding electric scooters on main roads and through traffic. Video surveillance footage shows children committing multiple violations, including riding in oncoming traffic, which poses a significant danger to both the children and motorists.

Atanasov noted that recent changes to the Road Traffic Act set the minimum age for operating individual electric vehicles at 16 years old, yet much younger children are frequently seen on the streets. While authorities and police have issued over 200 citations, the mayor stated that fines alone are insufficient to curb the behavior. He highlighted the difficulty for police and municipal security to intercept the children, as they often flee when approached, creating further risks of injury.

Specific penalties include a 500 BGN fine for operating a vehicle under the age of 16, 50 BGN for riding without a helmet, and 100 BGN for failing to ride closely to the right side of the road.