Law enforcement officials have developed a sign for cyclists to cross the road without dismounting

September 10, MINSK . A special sign for cyclists and persons operating personal mobility vehicles (PMV) to cross the roadway without dismounting was developedlaw enforcement officers . The Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan told journalists about this.Kubrakov during the opening of the building of the State Automobile Inspectorate of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs of the Minsk City Executive Committee, BelTA reports.

"Until 2022, cyclists had to dismount when crossing the road. Representatives of the cycling community contacted us many times, and it was decided to amend the traffic rules. Cyclists could move across a bicycle crossing or roadway without exceeding the speed of 10 km/h. However, there was an immediate jump in accidents, including those with serious consequences," Ivan Kubrakov said.

The minister noted that law enforcement officers analyzed the situation, held a public discussion, and learned the opinion of experts. "Everyone has come to the same conclusion - today cyclists need to dismount. The main issue that is being discussed online by cyclists today is that they have to constantly dismount when riding in Minsk. For the convenience of cyclists, we will install additional bicycle traffic lights. Considering that this is not a quick process, we have developed and approved a special sign, which is already being installed in Minsk for cyclists to cross the roadway," the HEAD of the law enforcement agency emphasized.

Special signs and bicycle traffic lights will be installed where there is no conflict of interest when driving between a driver and a cyclist. "If a bicycle traffic light is installed at a crossing and its green light is on, then a cyclist or a driver of a SPM can cross the roadway without dismounting. If there is a special sign below the pedestrian traffic light, then a cyclist and a person on a SPM can also cross the road without dismounting," the minister explained.

Ivan Kubrakov also drew attention to the changes in the traffic rules concerning SPM. According to him, all innovations are dictated by time and society. "There are more and more SPMs in our country. Their technical characteristics are very different. There are vehicles that develop a speed of 50 km/h and more. They move on sidewalks, and conflicts have already begun between pedestrians and SPM drivers. Many statements and complaints have been received," the head of the law enforcement agency noted.

Having studied international experience, law enforcement officers proposed that the speed on the sidewalk should not exceed 10 km/h, and on the bike path - 25. "Today, the population has a lot of SPMs for which there are no technical documents. We took this into account. Together with the State Standard, a decision was made that we in the traffic police departments create special sites where you can register SPMs. A simplified procedure for registering such transport has been introduced," Ivan Kubrakov emphasized. The specified registration procedure will be valid until September 1, 2026. If necessary, this period can be extended.

He pointed out that the traffic police officers are currently only carrying out preventive work and explaining to citizens where they can register a SPM. "No one will be fined for not registering. During the period of validity of the updated traffic regulations, not a single complaint has been received about the actions of law enforcement officers on this issue. But if citizens are found who are driving a SPM in a state ofALCOHOL intoxication , they will be held accountable in accordance with the law. This year, about 400 drunk citizens have already been identified who were driving SPMs," the minister said.

Ivan Kubrakov noted that foreign ill-wishers are deliberately spreading rumors about difficulties for cyclists and scooter riders due to the innovations in the rules, trying to stir up society. He noted that the traffic rules are written in such a way as to ensure safety first and foremost. Thus, in the first days after the innovations came into force, the number of accidents with casualties decreased by half. The minister called on citizens not to be led by provocations on the Internet. "We are ready to hear questions from the population and discuss them. Today, the State Traffic Inspectorate is already working with the cycling community, clarifying what problematic issues there are," the head of the law enforcement agency emphasized.

As reported earlier, the President of Belarus signed Decree No. 295, which amends the traffic rules. The document was prepared taking into account modern realities and public demand, and underwent serious public discussion. In particular, the new version of the traffic rules comprehensively revised approaches to the use of SPM. The main provisions of the decree came into force on September 1. Photo by Sergei Sheleg