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The proposal, which aims to prevent collisions between pedestrians, cyclists and electric scooters, is being ridiculed on the internet and raising questions about how it can be monitored.
The Slovak parliament approved a new traffic law that establishes a maximum speed limit of 6 kilometers per hour on sidewalks in urban areas, according to the .
The new rule applies to cyclists, skaters and users of electric scooters and also to pedestrians. The change, approved on Tuesday, aims to improve safety amid the growing number of collisions involving electric scooters.
Ľubomír Vážny, a deputy from Prime Minister Robert Fico’s ruling Smer party, was the author of the amendment and stated that its main objective is to “increase safety on sidewalks in the face of increasing number of collisions with scooter users”.
According to Vážny, the legislation will help authorities objectively determine whether someone was traveling at a speed higher than that considered appropriate for pedestrian zones. The new rule will come into force on January 1, 2026.
Although it was intended to reduce accident rates, the law generated criticism and even ridicule. The average walking speed of a human being generally varies between 4 and 5 km/h, but a pace of 6.4 km/h is considered moderate for someone in good physical shape, according to the British Heart Foundation. This means that even a faster-paced walker could technically exceed the new legal limit.
Opposition parties and transport experts rejected the measure as impractical and counterproductive. Martin Pekár, from the opposition party Progressive Slovakia, argued that the real danger to pedestrians comes from cars, and not from cyclists or users of electric scooters.
“If we want fewer collisions, we need more safe cycle pathsnot absurd limits that are physically impossible to follow”, said Pekár, who remembers that maintaining balance at such a low speed would be difficult for cyclists and could increase the risk of falls.
Even the Slovak Interior Ministry expressed reservations, suggesting that ban electric scooters on sidewalks would make more sense than imposing a blanket speed restriction on everyone. Critics fear the law could discourage sustainable forms of urban transport and create confusion over enforcement, as authorities have not yet explained how they plan to monitor compliance with the law.
The change also became the target of much online banter, with Slovaks questioning whether running to catch a bus or jogging could now result in fines.
Despite the humor, the debate highlights the growing difficulties of European cities in how balancing pedestrian safety with the rise of micromobility solutions and green alternatives to cars, such as electric scooters and bicycles.
