The new rules for electric scooters in Athens

Hopes of finally bringing order to scooters in Athens appear to be fading — at least for now. Last week (May 18), the updated scooter regulation for the Municipality of Athens was approved after revisions requested by the Decentralized Administration, and another round of checks is now expected before implementation, with city officials optimistic that the rules will be in place before the peak tourist season.

It is recalled that the Municipality of Athens began consultations a year ago to establish a regulatory framework, which was initially approved in November 2025. The original plan included restrictions on entry and circulation for all Light Personal Electric Vehicles (LPEVs), such as electric scooters, in areas around the Acropolis, the historic center, parks, the National Garden and hills.

However, the Decentralized Administration — the authority responsible for supervising the legality of municipal decisions — ruled that the municipality lacked jurisdiction over many of the proposed restrictions and returned the regulation for revisions.

What happens next

• Following approval by the City Council, the next steps before practical implementation include:
• A renewed legal review and approval by the Decentralized Administration
• Allocation of designated parking zones to rental companies
• Technical adaptation by scooter companies to comply with the new rules, including integration into a live-tracking electronic platform
• Completion of infrastructure works by the municipality, such as road markings and designated parking spaces
• The launch of inspections and fines under the new framework

According to sources from the Municipality of Athens, officials expect all procedures to be completed during June so the measures can take effect during the tourist season.

What the Decentralized Administration rejected

On March 16, 2026, the Decentralized Administration of Attica partially annulled the municipality’s original decision. The provisions rejected included:

• A complete ban on scooter circulation and parking in specific streets, hills and green areas, including the historic center. Authorities stated that such restrictions require a full traffic study approved by technical services and cannot be based solely on a “technical report.”
• A proposed €300 fee for the removal and storage of illegally parked scooters, since only the Ministry of Citizen Protection has the authority to determine such charges.
• The obligation for rental companies to equip scooters with wheel-locking systems when not in use. Authorities noted that municipalities cannot impose technical vehicle specifications, as these fall under the Highway Code.
• A €30 fine for scooter riders using headphones or mobile phones without hands-free devices, since the Highway Code already provides for a stricter penalty of €350 and license suspension.
• Exclusive parking zones reserved only for rental companies, as public parking spaces must remain equally accessible to all citizens.

What the new regulation includes

The final version approved unanimously on Monday contains far fewer restrictions than initially planned, most notably omitting zones where scooters would have been completely banned.

Beyond the existing provisions of the Highway Code, the municipality’s role is now mainly focused on organizing parking spaces and intervening in cases of abandoned scooters under certain conditions.

Specifically:

• 1,574 parking spots have been designated, with 10% reserved for private users in each zone.
• Rental scooters are strictly prohibited from parking outside these designated areas.

The municipality will not be able to immediately remove abandoned scooters at the companies’ expense — unlike illegally placed café tables and chairs — except under specific circumstances:

If a single scooter violation is identified, responsibility falls on the rider, but only if caught in the act.
In cases of mass dumping by companies, fines will be imposed. If the violation continues after five hours, a higher-category fine will be issued, and after ten hours authorities may remove the vehicles — unless they are obstructing traffic, in which case removal can happen immediately.

Digital monitoring and safety measures

One of the positive elements of the new framework is that rental companies will be required to provide live movement data through a dedicated municipal platform to improve supervision and enforcement.

Companies must also be able to track the location of every scooter and prevent them from exceeding speed limits.

Because there is currently no official record of how many scooters circulate in Athens, the platform is also expected to help determine whether the municipality should eventually have the authority to limit the number of scooters operating within city limits.

Municipal estimates suggest more than 4,000 scooters currently circulate in Athens, although legal parking spaces initially cover only 1,574 vehicles.

Political reactions

Deputy Mayor for Urban Regeneration and Resilience Maro Evangelidou defended the revised framework, saying:

“We had to regulate an issue that has proven extremely difficult internationally […] We chose to rely on legislation allowing restrictions in archaeological and green areas, but the Decentralized Administration rejected that interpretation and followed the strict letter of the law instead of the spirit of the new regulation we wanted to introduce.”

The debate at the City Council was particularly heated, with former mayor Kostas Bakoyannis accusing the administration of carelessness and poor preparation.

“What we are seeing is only a partial solution to the problem […] You should have known that this regulation would be rejected by the Decentralized Administration,” he said.

Although Bakoyannis’ faction had supported the original regulation, he and three other councilors abstained from the latest vote, along with Open City councilor Despoina Alevyzaki.

The revised regulation was ultimately approved by 24 councilors, with 28 present.

Athens Mayor Haris Doukas has repeatedly stressed that the municipality is not opposed to micromobility itself, but seeks to regulate its use to ensure safety and respect for all citizens.

According to recent reports, more than 150 children were hospitalized in the first three months of 2026 due to injuries involving electric scooters, many of them serious.

Following the death of a 13-year-old boy in Ilia and several other high-profile scooter accidents across Greece, Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis announced that stricter measures — including possible restrictions for minors — are being considered as part of tougher traffic regulations for micromobility vehicles.