The Regulation Amending the Electric Scooter Regulation (the “Amendment Regulation“), published in the Official Gazette dated 13 October 2026 and numbered 33399, has revised the administrative sanctions applicable to violations of obligations relating to shared electric scooter (“e-scooter“) operations.
1. Administrative Sanctions Regarding Authorization Certificates and Operating Permits
Operators intending to provide shared e-scooter services are required to obtain an authorization certificate from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and hold the necessary e-scooter operating permits for the areas in which they intend to operate.
Under the previous regulation, operating without the required authorization certificate and permits was subject to an administrative fine of TRY 10,000.
Under the new regulation, an administrative fine of TRY 86,900 will be imposed on operators providing shared e-scooter services without obtaining an authorization certificate from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, in violation of the authorization requirement set out in Article 66 of Highway Traffic Law No. 2918.
Furthermore, an administrative fine of TRY 86,900 has also been introduced for violations of obligations relating to the permits required for e-scooter operations and for conducting activities in breach of the applicable permit conditions.
Accordingly, shared e-scooter operators should ensure that they obtain all necessary authorization certificates and operating permits before commencing their activities and conduct their operations in accordance with the scope and conditions of such permits.
2. Operational Obligations of E-Scooter Operators and Administrative Fines
Shared e-scooter operators are required to conduct their activities with due regard to traffic safety, environmental health, accessibility for persons with disabilities, and the public interest. They must also provide their services in compliance with applicable legislation, without discrimination, and in a manner that ensures continuity of service.
In addition, operators are subject to various obligations, including operating exclusively within the boundaries of the municipalities or areas for which they have obtained permits, relocating e-scooters found in unauthorized areas to permitted areas within the prescribed period, and entering into service agreements with users.
Under the previous regulation, violations of these obligations were subject to an administrative fine of TRY 1,000.
The Amendment Regulation has increased the administrative fine applicable to violations of various obligations falling within this scope to TRY 8,687.
Accordingly, operators must ensure compliance with restrictions concerning their permitted operating areas, requirements to enter into agreements with users, obligations relating to the operation of e-scooters, and other applicable operational requirements.
3. Increased Administrative Fines for Repeated Violations and Temporary Suspension of Operations
The Amendment Regulation has also revised the graduated sanctions applicable where operators repeatedly breach certain obligations.
Under the previous regulation, an administrative fine of TRY 1,000 was imposed for the first violation of the relevant obligation, TRY 10,000 for the second violation, and TRY 50,000 for the third violation.
Under the new regulation, the administrative fines applicable to repeated violations of the same obligation have been increased to TRY 8,687 for the first violation, TRY 86,900 for the second violation, and TRY 170,000 for the third violation.
In addition, the sanction providing for the temporary suspension, for a period of six months, of activities carried out under the authorization certificate of operators subject to an administrative fine for a third violation has been retained.
Consequently, repeated violations may not only result in increased financial liabilities for operators but may also prevent them from conducting their operations for a specified period.
4. Administrative Sanctions for Failure to Submit Information and Documents During Inspections
Shared e-scooter operations are subject to inspections by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and other public institutions and authorities duly authorized under the applicable legislation.
Operators are required to provide the information and documents requested by the competent authorities during such inspections.
The Amendment Regulation expressly provides for an administrative fine of TRY 50,000 where information or documents required for inspection purposes are not submitted to authorized officials.
In this respect, operators should maintain proper and up-to-date records of their activities and ensure that all information and documents that may be requested during inspections are readily available for submission.
5. Separate Administrative Fines for Multiple Violations and Individual E-Scooters
The Amendment Regulation retains the practice of issuing a separate administrative fine decision report for each offence where multiple violations occur simultaneously.
Furthermore, administrative fines will continue to be imposed separately for each individual e-scooter involved in a violation.
Accordingly, particularly for operators managing large e-scooter fleets, the identification of the same type of violation across multiple e-scooters may result in a significant increase in the aggregate amount of administrative fines.
The practice of issuing administrative fine reports electronically has also been retained, with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure authorized to determine the procedures and principles applicable to such electronic reports.
