Cagliari, an early spring morning. The young woman with her hair blowing in the wind and a backpack on her shoulders is clearly in too much of a hurry to delve into the matter. She limits herself to a brief but eloquent statement: "Absurd, a measure as senseless as any other." And as she speeds down Via Manno, dodging the wave of tourists arriving from the sea, she announces her imminent conversion: "Comply? I'd rather switch to cycling." She's certainly not the only one: because a month and a half before the new restrictions on electric scooters, which will come into effect on May 16th, there's a lot of discontent on the streets of the capital. And then there are the retailers in the sector, struggling with plummeting sales.
The Controversy – The line is clear, with a shared strategy taking shape at the foot of the Bastione in the late morning. "It's yet another move targeting scooters and the sustainable mobility that's so much praised in words but opposed in practice," observes Marco Curreli, a university student who is keen to point out that he's not opposed to the rules, but rather the additional costs. "A tax, on top of the many price increases, will lead me to opt for a bicycle or a moped." This is the same path the majority of users, who tend to be on a war footing, seem to be heading in. "It's a disgrace. They impose strict rules on scooters, and it's incomprehensible why bicycles enjoy such freedom," blurts out Davide Sini, a waiter and representative of the first category. "If the goal is to ensure safety, we should use the same standards for both vehicles," he suggests, while taking his time to consider what to do: "It's not yet clear how much insurance and registration will cost; based on that figure, I'll decide what to do."
The debate – The issue is also being discussed in Piazza Yenne, under the watchful eye of Carlo Felice, who also seems perplexed. David Samuel, born in Egypt and arrived in Cagliari twelve years ago, is fully prepared: "What do I think? That I'll switch to an electric bike. I don't understand why, even though both are motorized vehicles with a speed limit, they're once again targeting only scooters." There is one exception, a particularly elegant man with a light blue tie and a clear idea: "Absolutely right," Paolo Meloni declares: "Insurance is needed to ensure the safety of those who use them and of third parties in the event of any potential hardship. Just like the license plate, which will allow us to identify those who commit a violation. I don't understand the controversy."
Sales Down – And while there's no cheering on the streets, there's even less rejoicing in the sector's retail outlets. "Since these new rules began to be discussed at the end of 2024, sales have almost halved, both among small retailers and large-scale retailers," explains Simone Pintus, co-owner with Valter Deiana of E-mobility store on Via Dante. "We can't help but sit back and wait for any benefits, primarily related to the safety it will offer users and others. Certainly, the backlash has been severe, and many will likely switch to bicycles." The second stop is on Via Maddalena, with Antonello Zara, owner of Emuoversi: "The market suffered a drastic slowdown after the changes to the Highway Code at the end of 2024, then slowly recovered, and now we're expecting another downturn," he predicts. "There's still a lot of confusion about this, and I'm also waiting for the right people to shed more light on the situation."