You’ll be able to solely stroll 6 kilometers per hour if you wish to observe the legislation in Slovakia.
The Slovak parliament Tuesday afternoon adopted an modification to the visitors legislation that units a most permitted pace on sidewalks in city areas at 6 kph.
The restrict applies to pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, and scooter and e-scooter riders — all of who’re allowed on sidewalks — and goals to keep away from frequent collisions.
“The primary purpose is to extend security on sidewalks in gentle of the rising variety of collisions with scooter riders,” stated the creator of the modification, Ľubomír Vážny of the leftist-populist Smer occasion of Prime Minister Robert Fico, which is a part of the ruling coalition.
The modification might be helpful in proving violations, the lawmaker stated, “particularly in circumstances the place it’s essential to objectively decide whether or not they had been shifting sooner than what’s thought of an applicable pace in areas meant primarily for pedestrians.”
Though the legislation will come into drive Jan. 1, 2026, proponents haven’t publicly spelled out how they plan to implement it.
The common strolling pace usually ranges between 4 to five kph. Nevertheless, the British Coronary heart Basis stories {that a} tempo of 6.4 kilometers per hour is taken into account reasonable for somebody with wonderful health.
The opposition criticized the change, and even the Slovak Inside Ministry stated it might be extra applicable to ban e-scooters from the sidewalks than impose a common pace restrict.
Martin Pekár of the opposition liberal occasion Progressive Slovakia stated pedestrians face hazard from automobiles, not cyclists or scooters, and that the modification penalizes sustainable transport.
“If we would like fewer collisions, we want extra secure bike lanes, not absurd limits which can be bodily inconceivable to observe,” Pekár stated. “On the talked about pace, a bicycle owner can hardly hold their stability,” he added.
The modification has sparked a wave of amusement on social media, with some questioning whether or not working to catch a bus might get them fined.