More Electric Kick Scooters Seen Driving on Metropolitan Expressway; Road Operator Tells Riders to Stop

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:06 JST, December 7, 2024

There have been several cases of people illegally riding electric kick scooters on Tokyo’s Metropolitan Expressway this year. The company which operates the expressway has issued a warning to never use an electric kick scooter there.

Under the current law, the scooters are classified as “specified small motorized bicycles” and are not allowed to travel on expressways. According to Metropolitan Expressway Co., as of Tuesday, there had been seven cases of the scooters being driven on the expressway in this fiscal year, greater than last fiscal year’s six cases.

The company said that none of the seven cases have resulted in accidents.

One electric kick scooter is confirmed to have entered through the gap in the toll bar at the entrance the Metropolitan Expressway No. 3 Shibuya Line in Tokyo early Tuesday morning. It left the expressway after traveling about one kilometer.

Security camera footage also shows the scooter turning from the shoulder and moving toward the middle of the road.

The company released the footage on X on Wednesday, along with a message saying, “Please never do this, as it could lead to a serious, life-threatening accident.”