Bečić: Draft amendments to the Road Traffic Safety Law now open for public consultation

Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić, Minister of the Interior Danilo Šaranović, Assistant Chief of the Podgorica Police Department Milan Radusinović, and Commander of the Traffic Safety Unit Ratko Furtula visited traffic patrols at several locations across Podgorica today. During the visit, Deputy Prime Minister Bečić announced that the Draft amendments to the Road Traffic Safety Law have officially entered the phase of public consultation.

On this occasion, Bečić emphasized that there are no more untouchables in Montenegro—neither on the roads nor in the institutions. Those who break the law will face consequences, and those who respect it will be protected. Road safety, he stated, is a matter of national dignity. A state that fails to protect pedestrians and other road users will soon be unable to protect itself, he said.

In recent days and weeks, traffic inspections across Montenegro have been significantly intensified. We witnessed that, within just a 72-hour period a few days ago, 122 individuals were detained for serious traffic violations—around 50% of them within the jurisdiction of the Regional Security Center Central, he said.

Today, we inform the public that the Working Group formed by the Minister of the Interior—tasked with drafting the proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Safety Law—has completed its work. Therefore, I am announcing that the Draft Law will now be subject to public debate, Bečić noted while speaking about the most important proposed changes to the legislation.

Among the key proposed changes is introduction of the "young driver" category. This applies to drivers between 18 and 21 years of age. Specific restrictions are proposed for this group, including a ban on operating motor vehicles between 11 PM and 6 AM, and a ban on driving B-category vehicles with an engine power exceeding 80 kW—except when accompanied by a family member with a valid driver’s license held for at least 5 years.

Bečić also announced the first legal regulation of electric scooters under the term "light electric vehicles". A ban is proposed on electric scooter use by individuals under 16 years of age. Carrying passengers and using headphones while operating scooters will be prohibited, and wearing a helmet will be mandatory. Where no bike lanes or tracks exist, scooters may be operated on the roadway only where the speed limit does not exceed 30 km/h—or up to 50 km/h for persons over 18, said Bečić.

He added that parental and guardian responsibility will be legally established regarding underage use of electric scooters. The proposed amendments foresee misdemeanor liability for parents or guardians who allow children under 16 to operate electric scooters on public roads in violation of the law.

Bečić also pointed out that greater powers will be granted to police officers. These include the introduction of a unified information system in vehicle inspection stations and broader authority for police officers to temporarily seize vehicles from individuals who have been convicted of serious traffic violations in the past two years.

In conclusion, Bečić invited citizens and the interested public to actively participate in the public consultation process.

The public consultation will last for 30 days. I invite all interested stakeholders to take part by submitting their opinions, comments, and suggestions. Our goal is to improve this legislative proposal before it is finalized by the Government and forwarded to Parliament for further consideration and adoption, concluded the Deputy Prime Minister.