A man rides an electric scooter on a pop-up bike lane on Corso Buenos Aires on September 23, 2020 in ... [ ] Milan, Italy. (Photo by Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)

Italy will require helmets, license plates and insurance for e-scooter riders after a surge in injuries, banning the controversial micro mobility machines from cycle lanes and pedestrian sidewalks.

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said in a social media post: "No more wild scooters." However, Salvini has previously supported Vespas, saying they were part of the "national cultural heritage" and should be protected from the "eco-craziness" of the EU's sustainability regulations.

E-scooters are increasingly controversial following bans in Paris and Madrid, though Italy isn't outright outlawing them. First mooted over the summer, the Italian parliament last week approved a transport bill that regulates e-scooters, as well as introduces tougher penalties for drunk driving and abandoning animals alongside roads. Salvini said the changes were designed to "reduce the carnage on Italian roads."

The move follows a rise in e-scooter deaths in Italy. According to Reuters, the national statistics agency ISTAT reported 16 deaths and 2,929 injuries in 2022, climbing to 3,365 injuries and 21 deaths last year.

The law requires helmets, license plates, indicators and insurance for e-scooters and their riders, as well as limiting speed and banning them from cycle lanes, sidewalks and "non urban" roads.

"This is an example of countries trying to work out the best way to retain the benefits of e-scooters as a cheaper and more accessible alternative to cars whilst trying to minimise some of the impacts on other road and pavement users," says Dr Graeme Sherriff of the University of Salford. "I’m sure we will see some more back and forth on this before we find the ‘sweet spot’."

Over the summer, Salvini submitted a bill to protect Vespas from future legal restrictions, be that from the EU or........

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