Several individuals caught using illegal e-scooters have been sentenced to community service, fines, and driving bans by the magistrate’s court in Vilvoorde.
The cases involved people apprehended during a recent police operation by the Vilvoorde-Machelen force. Prosecutors charged them with offences such as driving without a valid licence, lacking proper insurance, and failing to register their vehicles.
In Belgium, legal e-scooters must not have a seat and are limited to a top speed of 25 km/h. If an e-scooter exceeds this speed, it is classified as either a class B moped or, at faster speeds, a motorcycle. As such, the vehicle must be insured and registered, and the driver must hold an appropriate licence. Without meeting these requirements, e-scooters are not permitted on public roads and can be confiscated.
During the recent enforcement campaign, police seized 52 e-scooters from public roads. Among the offenders were 27 minors, who were invited to attend a road safety course focused on responsible e-scooter usage. Those who completed the course had their cases dismissed. However, nine adult offenders were summoned to appear in court.
Of the nine, four individuals attended the hearing and received sentences of 46 hours of community service along with a one-month driving ban. The remaining defendants were sentenced in absentia and fined between €1,600 and €4,000, in addition to receiving driving bans ranging from two to three months. All confiscated e-scooters were forfeited.
