The Icelandic government is considering whether to require electric vespas to be registered, and to have their drivers take a course in driving them.
As reported, vespas fall under the same category as bicycles, as far as Icelandic law is concerned. This means they are not to be ridden in traffic (at least not in traffic where the maximum speed limit exceeds 50 KPH), but rather on the sidewalk. As vespas are considerably heavier than bicycles, can travel up to 25 KPH, but are all but silent, many pedestrians have complained to the police about them being used on the sidewalk.
The complaints have been numerous enough, Morgunblaðið reports, that the Ministry of the Interior has asked the Road Traffic Directorate to study the matter more carefully, and come to a decision regarding whether or not vespas should be registered vehicles and their drivers required to take a course before being allowed to drive them.
Marta Jónsdóttir, the chief legal expert at the Road Traffic Directorate, said that while vespas are environmentally friendly, they intend to follow their development closely. Their popularity is only expected to increase, especially among young people living in the capital.
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