WATCH: Dubai Police seize 640 bicycles, e-scooters from reckless riders

Dubai Police clamping down on illegal scooter, bike activities. (Source: Twitter)

Speeding or not wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle or e-scooter in Dubai will land you in hot water, as a recent campaign illustrates.

Dubai Police took to social network X on Monday night to share a video showcasing how it confiscated bicycles and e-scooters from errant riders.

You can watch the video here:

In a traffic safety campaign targeting reckless riders, Dubai Police have seized 640 bicycles and e-scooters for violations like speeding and not wearing helmets. The initiative emphasizes the importance of following traffic rules and using designated pathways to ensure the… pic.twitter.com/c9ZcV4f36T

— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) July 15, 2024

The impoundments were part of a traffic campaign launched by Dubai Police at the start of the month. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of following traffic laws and guidelines to ensure the safety of all road users.

Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi, who is the assistant commandant for operations affairs, explained that the impounded bikes and scooters were involved in numerous dangerous violations. These included riding on roads with speed limits over 60 km/h, not wearing safety vests and helmets, reckless riding, travelling against traffic, not dismounting at pedestrian crossings, and lacking necessary technical specifications.

Al Ghaithi emphasised the importance of safety measures such as wearing helmets, reflective jackets, and installing front and rear light reflectors. He highlighted that several violations carry significant fines.

• Riding on roads with speed limits over 60 km/h or riding recklessly results in an AED 300 fine.
• Carrying passengers on e-scooters or bikes not equipped for this purpose carries fines of AED 300 and AED 200 respectively.
• Riding against the flow of traffic also results in an AED 200 fine.

Dubai Police further stressed the need for strict adherence to traffic laws and safety guidelines for cyclists and electric scooter users. Police stressed that these riders should use designated areas away from regular roads and vehicle lanes.

The move to clampdown on badly behaving bike and scooter commuters comes amid stricter monitoring of e-mobility devices in recent months in the emirate.

In March this year, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) banned the use of e-scooters inside the city’s metro and tram system. Previously, passengers could bring e-scooters onto the Dubai Metro, but there were some rules that included folding e-scooters once onboard the trains and using the wide entry gates when traversing through a station.

The Dubai Metro is still allowing passengers to carry foldable bicycles onto trains and trams.