Amsterdam: scooters on bike path?
Jul 22, 2016, 3:05 pm
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2008
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Amsterdam: scooters on bike path?
Anyone can shed some light into why motorized scooters are permitted on the bike paths? Outside the center the sign is clearly marked with both scooters and bikes, though in the center it seems only bike (but scooters go anyway).
There is a large speed differential between bikes and scooters and it seems unsafe. In addition scooters are noisy and smelly (because they have an exhaust and pollute) and aren't clean.
There is a large speed differential between bikes and scooters and it seems unsafe. In addition scooters are noisy and smelly (because they have an exhaust and pollute) and aren't clean.
Jul 22, 2016, 11:30 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
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Bike paths have nothing to do with smell or noise! They're supposed to be there for the safety of bikers. Perhaps the scooters admitted are only those that I remember from many years ago, which won't go faster than 25 km/hr, a speed easily attained (and often exceeded) by bikers.
Jul 22, 2016, 11:39 pm
#5
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Jul 22, 2016, 11:40 pm
#6
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Bike paths have nothing to do with smell or noise! They're supposed to be there for the safety of bikers. Perhaps the scooters admitted are only those that I remember from many years ago, which won't go faster than 25 km/hr, a speed easily attained (and often exceeded) by bikers.
Just a motorcycle with a smaller engine and no need to shift gears manually.
Jul 23, 2016, 1:03 am
#7
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My experience there is that they've never caused me any problem - they're only allowed out of town, where the oaths are open and wide, and they're a relatively vulnerable form of transport on some of the fast Dutch roads too.
Jul 23, 2016, 6:21 am
#8
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I've never been bothered by scooters, and it's probably safer for everyone if they can use bike paths.
Jul 23, 2016, 3:29 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Scooters are not only allowed on bike paths in Amsterdam, they are required to use them. The reasoning goes like this: Cars are faster than scooters so that's dangerous to scooter drivers. That scooters are faster than bikes and that that's dangerous to cyclists seems to be no concern. To make things more interesting, the regulation is specific to each city in the Netherlands.
Jul 25, 2016, 4:18 pm
#10
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Bikes are allowed nearly everywhere in the US, except for on highways. By law, they are supposed to stay on the roads or allowed bike paths, and follow the same rules as motorists. But they receive special treatment. Laws are never followed nor enforced for bikes in most of the US. So I agree when you say they do what they want.
I've never been bothered by scooters, and it's probably safer for everyone if they can use bike paths.
I've never been bothered by scooters, and it's probably safer for everyone if they can use bike paths.
But it isn't safer for everyone if scooters. Obviously it isn't safer for bikes.
Jul 25, 2016, 4:24 pm
#11
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Scooters are not only allowed on bike paths in Amsterdam, they are required to use them. The reasoning goes like this: Cars are faster than scooters so that's dangerous to scooter drivers. That scooters are faster than bikes and that that's dangerous to cyclists seems to be no concern. To make things more interesting, the regulation is specific to each city in the Netherlands.
Funny how Netherlands has trouble regulating scooters. Similar to how they run wild in Asia (just that not as many people ride scooters in the Netherlands simply because there aren't as many people).
Jul 29, 2016, 2:57 am
#13
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You don't need a helmet if the scooter is regulated to max 25KM/h. Normal scooters, are allowed to go a max speed of 45km/h but a helmet is obligatory. Police does do checks, but there has been a huge surge in the use of scooters and mopeds lately, so they're lagging behind a bit. If police finds a scooter to be going over their max allowed speed, it will be confiscated.
Jul 29, 2016, 3:07 am
#14
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In some places they do now require the scooters to go on the car road rather than the bike path, but not nearly everywhere no, and to be honest even if they do many scooters will prefer to just take the bike path anyway.
I have personally rarely felt unsafe because of scooters, just make sure to let them pass and it'll be no problem. And if they can't pass because the bike lane is to small, and they get anxious to pass you, do it the amsterdam way and wish some 17th century disease upon them in an Amsterdam accent and cycle extra slowly, haha.
I have personally rarely felt unsafe because of scooters, just make sure to let them pass and it'll be no problem. And if they can't pass because the bike lane is to small, and they get anxious to pass you, do it the amsterdam way and wish some 17th century disease upon them in an Amsterdam accent and cycle extra slowly, haha.
Jul 29, 2016, 3:16 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Between AMS and BRU
Posts: 8,852
The regulations on scooters are a bit of a mess, and there's lots of discussion on them using the bike lines....
Formally there are 2 categories of scooters:
- blue license plates : max 25 km/h, no helmet, and need to use the bike lanes
- yellow license plates: max 45 km/h , helmet, need to use road (or on scooter lane if available, then max 30 km/h)
The city of Amsterdam has been trying to get all scooters banned on bike lines for a number of years, but it hasn't materialized yet.
And whatever the regulations, people will most likely still do whatever the hell they wan in Amsterdam since fining them seems low priority.
Formally there are 2 categories of scooters:
- blue license plates : max 25 km/h, no helmet, and need to use the bike lanes
- yellow license plates: max 45 km/h , helmet, need to use road (or on scooter lane if available, then max 30 km/h)
The city of Amsterdam has been trying to get all scooters banned on bike lines for a number of years, but it hasn't materialized yet.
And whatever the regulations, people will most likely still do whatever the hell they wan in Amsterdam since fining them seems low priority.