Loigo says seizing illegal e-scooters is not exceptional

Police powers to confiscate vehicles banned from public traffic would not be exceptional, Sirle Loigo, head of the PPA traffic supervision unit, told ERR’s Terevisioon programme. She said authorities can already seize items whose possession or use is prohibited by law.

Loigo said the proposal does not cover all electric scooters or small mopeds, but vehicles that do not meet the technical requirements for either category and cannot be registered as mopeds or motorcycles. Such vehicles are not allowed in public traffic.

Some can reach speeds of up to 85 kilometres per hour or more, she said. By contrast, a light personal mobility device has a power output of one kilowatt, a manufacturer’s maximum speed of 25 kilometres per hour, no seat and is designed to carry one person.

Loigo said many prohibited vehicles are being used on roads, including by minors, and that they have been involved in traffic accidents with tragic and fatal consequences. She said the proposed legal change is intended to prevent the trend from growing.

She argued that courts need not decide whether to confiscate vehicles whose use in traffic is prohibited. A judge’s discretion is needed when confiscation depends on the person or the offence, she said. For example, a court may decide whether to confiscate a registered vehicle permitted in traffic from a drunk driver, in part to prevent that person from using it to commit further offences.

ERR reported on Monday that a draft amendment to the Traffic Act would give police the power to confiscate electric scooters that do not meet requirements. At present, such vehicles can be confiscated from traffic only with court permission, but no application has been granted. Lawyers and former state prosecutor general Andres Parmas have criticised the proposal. Parmas said such a serious interference with property rights should remain a matter for the courts.