Japan's electric scooter users will no longer require a driver's license from July, though people under 16 will be banned from riding the vehicles, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
The new rules apply to scooters with a maximum speed of 20 kilometers per hour, and riders must comply with the same traffic rules as cyclists, including, in principle, not riding on sidewalks. Scooter riders are advised to wear helmets, although it is not compulsory.
The two-wheeled scooters have been attracting a growing number of users in Japan, especially in metropolitan areas. Accidents and traffic rule violations, such as riding under the influence of alcohol, have been rising in line with their growth in popularity.