Tallinn is pushing back against plans to let motorcycles and e-scooters use bus lanes, warning they could slow public transport and increase crash risks.
In a submission to the Riigikogu's Economic Affairs Committee, the city reiterated its opposition to a bill allowing motorcycles to use public transport lanes. It also rejects a separate proposal to allow light electric vehicles, including e-scooters, in the lanes.
Deputy Mayor Joel Jesse (Center Party) said adding more traffic would make it harder for buses to stay on schedule and increase the risk of crashes.
E-scooters, he said, pose particular concerns due to the sheer difference in size and mass, and large vehicles' blind spots also increase both the likelihood and severity of collisions.
"In spots where buses share the lanes with rams, there's the added risk of getting caught in the tracks," the deputy mayor continued, adding that wet and icy roads can worsen conditions from fall through spring in particular as well.
EV explosion
Tallinn also wants to revoke the existing right under the Public Transport Act for taxis and electric vehicles (EVs) to use public transport lanes, saying fewer vehicles would help public transport run faster and more reliably.
Traffic in public transport lanes has increased significantly, the city said, with the number of registered EVs rising from 1,649 in 2020 to more than 13,000 this year, about two-thirds of them in Harju County.
This rapid increase in EVs has already slowed public transport in the dedicated lanes, making it harder for them to remain on schedule. "This shows that access to public transport lanes should be narrowed rather than expanded," the city added.
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