A growing number of car owners in Cyprus are being forced to pay for damages caused by electric scooters and other two-wheeled vehicles, as legal gaps leave police unable to intervene.
Social media posts, TikTok videos, and Instagram clips from drivers across the island show incidents where parked cars were clipped or scratched by scooters, often leaving owners to cover repair costs themselves. While the authenticity and full context of these posts cannot be independently verified, they point to a rising problem affecting motorists.
One viral clip circulating online showed a dented BMW with a repair bill reportedly around €600 after a scooter clipped it in Limassol. Another Instagram story depicted a Nicosia vehicle owner facing €450 in damages after a similar collision. Several videos highlight the frustration of drivers left to pay for repairs without police intervention.
Speaking to the Sunday Mail, police confirmed their powers in collisions involving electric scooters, officially known as personal mobility devices (PMDs), are limited.
“Where there are serious traffic offences, serious injuries, or significant material damage, the police proceed to investigate a road collision involving a PMD or a bicycle. Otherwise, we cannot intervene,” the police said.
Between 2023 and 2024, authorities issued 3,996 fines for PMD-related offences. Of these, 1,592 fines were for use in prohibited areas and 363 for operating outside designated lanes.
“This is intense in all cities and has reached worrying levels. Users of these devices, being vulnerable road users, are constantly exposed to risks on roads where the speed limit exceeds 30 km/h,” police added.
The legal framework for electric scooters is still pending in parliament, leaving victims unprotected. Green Party MP Stavros Papadouris highlighted the gaps: “Depending on the area, supervision can fall under either the police or the municipality. If the situation is not fixed, there’s a risk that the legislation itself will collapse.”
Papadouris said a lack of registration and insurance is central to the problem.
“These vehicles are not recorded anywhere and have no insurance coverage. We proposed a separate registry with identification plates and mandatory insurance so owners can be traced and costs covered,” he told the Sunday Mail.
He described the human cost of the legal gap: “A motorcyclist was hospitalised for three months after colliding with an e-scooter. He lost his job and received no compensation because the scooter was uninsured. If the government wanted, it could step in voluntarily, recognising the legal gap. But there are no legislative tools for that.”
Disy MP Marinos Moushioutas said the House is considering stricter measures.
“They are not insured, so we cannot intervene when an accident happens. Because the necessary measures are not being taken by the police, local authorities, scooter importers, and rental companies, we proposed banning scooters as a pressure measure. This would force compliance or closure. In Europe, a way has been found to address this, and we are examining similar procedures. The issue concerns not only scooters but also motorcycles and bicycles,” he said.
Municipalities are also struggling with enforcement. Kyriakos Xydias, mayor of Amathus, told the Sunday Mail: “The scooters are a matter of legislation that has been passed. They are allowed to circulate below a certain speed limit, but there is no insurance. We have made professional plans, properly and legally, but we are not ready yet. The revisions cause studies and delays. I will discuss with the authorities, but honestly, I do not know what will happen. Only parliament can abolish it.”
Xydias added that municipalities cannot yet designate areas for scooter use.
“We said we would set specific areas where they could circulate. But we are not yet ready to implement it.”
Haris Christodoulou, executive engineer at the transport ministry, told the Sunday Mail that the ministry launched awareness campaigns but recognises enforcement gaps.
“We have already launched two major awareness campaigns in 2024 and 2025. We see no gap in awareness but in enforcement. We seek from all involved to take responsibility under the law and act within their powers. That is the immediate measure. Changes to the law will come from lengthy procedures. The absence of proper enforcement is the issue.”
Police have suggested further tools to improve accountability. “If a person uses a PMD in an area where it is not permitted, the vehicle should be retained by law enforcement authorities. The bill should include provisions to ensure smooth implementation, including storage arrangements for retained PMDs,” the police said.
Currently, insurance coverage is outside the law, preventing victims from claiming compensation through insurers. Papadouris said registration and insurance are essential to protect road users.
“For the system to work, there needs to be a complete micromobility network connecting all areas without gaps. Both the police and municipal wardens lack the tools for supervision. We proposed a registry where all scooters are recorded with an identification plate and mandatory insurance. This way, the owner or user can be traced and costs can be covered.”
Moushioutas stressed enforcement alongside legislation.“The lack of willingness to comply from users may require drastic measures, such as a complete ban on scooters or mandatory insurance. We have proposed including scooters in insurance coverage so that in case of an accident, either the rider or the pedestrian is compensated,” he said.
The human and financial costs are mounting. Social media videos show repair costs ranging from €300 to €750 per incident, with high-use areas such as university districts and promenades seeing frequent collisions. Many drivers now plan routes and parking to avoid scooters.
Papadouris warned of further risks if the legal framework collapses. “Both the police and municipal wardens lack the necessary tools for supervision. If the framework collapses, we will return to the beginning, with no regulation at all.”
Until legislation is revised to require registration, insurance, and clear enforcement, victims remain exposed, and Cyprus’ e-scooter boom continues to generate uncertainty and financial risk.
As parliament continues to review e-scooter legislation, the responsibility for accidents remains unclear. Car owners continue to bear the losses, while politicians, police, and municipalities debate registration, insurance and enforcement.
The situation illustrates a wider problem of accountability in the country’s emerging micromobility sector. With nearly 4,000 PMD-related fines issued in two years and injuries already recorded, the need for a coherent, enforceable law is urgent.
This is the second article related to e-scooter issues. The first, focusing on dangerous batteries in personal mobility devices, appeared on October 13.
