In short. Light electric transport is regulated by Minister of Transport regulation No. PM 45 of 2020: e-scooters, e-bikes, hoverboards, electric unicycles and scooter-boards. A helmet is compulsory, the age is from 12, ages 12 to 15 only with an adult, no passengers (except on an e-bike with a second seat), and the motor must not be tuned up. The speed limit is 25 km/h for a scooter and an e-bike, 6 km/h for a hoverboard and a unicycle. A headlight, rear light, reflectors, brakes and a bell are required. You may ride on cycle paths and in zones designated by the regency or city: residential blocks, car-free streets, tourist zones. A rental must hand out the vehicle off the road and is responsible for safety: ask about the zone boundaries, the helmet and the charge.
What transport this covers. Minister of Transport regulation No. PM 45 of 16 June 2020 names five kinds of light electric transport: an electric scooter with a seat or footboard (skuter listrik), an e-bike (sepeda listrik), a hoverboard, an electric unicycle and a scooter-board without a seat (otopet). In the legal database of the Ministry of Transport the regulation has the status "in force". An electric bike with a plate and registration is not covered here; for it the rules are the same as for an ordinary motorbike, see the guides on driving licences and renting a scooter.
Who may ride.
- A helmet is compulsory for all five kinds.
- The age is from 12 years. Children from 12 to 15 may ride only together with an adult.
- No passengers. There is one exception: an e-bike with a second seat.
- The motor power must not be changed if that raises the speed.
What speed is allowed. For an electric scooter and an e-bike the limit is 25 km/h. For a hoverboard, an electric unicycle and a scooter-board it is 6 km/h, roughly the speed of a brisk walk. If a seller or rental promises more and "removes the limiter", this is directly forbidden by article four of the regulation.
What a scooter or bike must have. An electric scooter and an e-bike must by the rules have a front headlight, a rear light or reflector, reflectors on the left and right, working brakes and a bell or horn. A hoverboard, a unicycle and a scooter-board need a light, brakes and a reflector. The battery and motor must be securely fixed. Check all this before paying for the rental: in the dark, without a light and reflectors, you are simply not visible on a Balinese road.
Where you may ride. The regulation allows such transport on cycle paths and special lanes, and also in particular zones: residential blocks, streets during car-free hours (car free day), tourist zones, areas by public transport stations, office districts and places off the roads. If there is no separate lane you may use a wide pavement, giving way to pedestrians. An ordinary carriageway is not named in this list.
Which streets and zones are open is decided by the head of the regency or the mayor of the city: in Bali that is Denpasar and regencies such as Badung and Gianyar. The guide on the spot is signs and markings, which under the regulation the authorities must put up. In a tourist area where scooters have a zone, stay within its boundaries.
If you rent. Under article eight a rental must hand out the vehicle from a site off the road and pavement, be responsible for the safety of customers, and make sure the scooter is used in its own zone and for its own distance. Before the ride ask the rental:
- Within what boundaries you may ride and what happens if you go outside them.
- Whether a helmet in your size comes with it.
- Whether the headlight, brakes and bell work, and whether the charge is enough for the way back.
- Who pays if the scooter breaks down or is damaged.
How to check a rental and its contract is covered in detail in the guide on renting a scooter, where the questions are the same.
Children. Under the regulation a child under 12 may not ride such transport, and from 12 to 15 only with an adult beside them.
What this means for you. The rules let an electric scooter and an e-bike onto cycle paths, pavements and designated zones, at a speed up to 25 km/h. Wear a helmet, do not carry a passenger and do not tune up the motor. Do not give such transport to a child under 12. Before renting, check the headlight, brakes and reflectors and ask the rental where the boundaries of its zone are. For what else matters on the road, read the guides stopped by police and scooter accident.