NEW LAW ON ELECTRIC SCOOTERS

[Anchor Lead]

The law was revised so that an electric scooter rider must have a license and wear a helmet. But when this law went into effect, people complained about wearing a helmet. Let’s take a look at how this law is being observed a month and a half into its enforcement.

[Pkg]

​This office worker going to work on an electric scooter is wearing a helmet.

[Soundbite] Kim Sang-mi(Electric Kickboard Rider) : "Of course I should wear a helmet. But it seems difficult for some people because those who borrow kickboards have to share helmets with other riders."

Many started wearing helmets after the law went into effect, but there are still a lot more people not wearing them.

[Soundbite] (Electric Scooter User(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "There should have been a helmet here but there wasn’t. I can’t carry around a helmet."

Some people are not even aware that a license and helmets are mandatory.

[Soundbite] (Electric Scooter User(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "(Do you have a license?) …. (Do you?) No."

Shared helmets provided as a solution are hard to supervise.

[Soundbite] (Electric Scooter Dealer(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "Some people just rode away on scooters  leaving the helmets on the tree or on the street."

Some shared electric scooter dealers call for the removal of the helmet-wearing rule. Instead, they propose lowering the speed limit to under 10 kilometers per hour.

[Soundbite] (Electric Sccoter Dealer(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "We’ve been hit hard and had to let go over 70% of our employees. We are workers and job creators, but the public think that we cause only harm."

This controversy surrounding the helmet regulation is likely to continue as safety is not an issue to be negotiated.