Its deputy minister, Hasbi Habibollah, said the authorities should submit applications for exemptions from the ministry regarding the prohibition of certain micro-mobility vehicles on the road.

“The development of such infrastructure should adhere to the Micromobility Vehicle Route Planning Guidelines developed by the local government development ministry through its agency, PlanMalaysia, and comply with all safety elements and usage regulations set by the respective authorities,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

Hasbi was responding to Lee Chean Chung (PH-Petaling Jaya), who asked about the ministry’s progress in amending laws to permit the legal use of micro-mobility vehicles, such as electric scooters, on the road.

In April last year, certain micro-mobility vehicles like mopeds and electric scooters were banned from being used on roads.

The ban, gazetted under the Road Traffic Rules, has been in effect since Dec 17 last year.

It covers mopeds, electric scooters (internal combustion engine power or human power), and personal mobility aids.

Hasbi explained that the use of micro-mobility vehicles on roads without proper regulations and specific infrastructure poses significant risks and dangers, given the mix of traffic and lack of speed limits.

“Recognising this risk, the ministry had taken initial steps by issuing regulations prohibiting the use of certain micro-mobility vehicles on the road to protect the welfare and safety of all road users, including the micro-mobility vehicle users themselves,” he said.

He said the enactment aligns with Section 3(2) of the Road Traffic Regulations, which grants the minister the authority to exempt such prohibition on any road or part of the road subject to specified conditions.