Scooter in hand, the right reflex before taking the train

The popularity of electric scooters in public spaces in general, and on the railways in particular, is accompanied by a number of rules that are essential for everyone’s safety. A new CFL awareness campaign tackles this matter.

“Please dismount from your scooter on the platform and then push it by hand.” The message spread by the new safety campaign launched by the CFL on 22 September 2023 is as simple as it is important: it is forbidden to drive a scooter inside railway stations and railway stops, just as it is forbidden to do soon platforms.

An ever-increasing number of CFL customers are going to railway stations and railway stops and getting on a train with a scooter, usually an electric one. This diversification of multimodality prompted the CFL to run this awareness-raising campaign, which features the “egg” character already used in the past to cover the same topic.

In all the visuals produced in-house by the CFL’s Communications Department, the egg drives its scooter in comical situations and unexpected places to provoke thought among the general public.

“The egg is a neutral character in which everyone can find themselves. And like humans, it can break,” says Doris Horvath, Head of Safety & Environment at the CFL in a CFL Podcast on the same subject.

To avoid endangering yourself or risking your life and that of others by falling on the platform or – even more seriously – the tracks, the rule is simple: “It is forbidden to ride your scooter on the platform, it is forbidden to cross a walkway in a station on a scooter… in short, it is forbidden to ride your scooter inside a railway station or a railway stop”, says Doris Horvath.

The ban also applies to station squares, in particular the busy square in front of Luxembourg Central Station, as well as underground passages and CFL car parks. “It’s important to stress that scooters should not be used where other people are on foot,” adds Doris Horvath. Similarly, pedestrians must be careful not to encroach on cycle paths during their journey.

Since 1 January 2021, electric scooters have been included in the Highway Code as micro electric vehicles (MVEs), alongside personal mobility devices (PMDs). The latter do not have an electric motor (skateboards, scooters, roller skates) or do not exceed 6km/h in the case of vehicles for children (hoverboards, children’s cars).

“A micro electric vehicle (MEMV) is a small electric road vehicle designed to move a single person at a speed of < 25 km/h. With one or more wheels, it may or may not be equipped with handlebars or a seat. With one or more wheels, it may or may not be fitted with handlebars or a seat”, says the Transport Portal. So we’re talking about monoroues, gyropodes and electric scooters.

Users of electric scooters are considered to be cyclists. From the age of 13, “it is compulsory to ride in areas designated for cycles, otherwise on traffic lanes”. Wearing a helmet is strongly recommended.

The use of electric scooters is rapidly becoming part of the mobility habits of many customers, and requires a series of rules that are essential for living well together.

This is an issue that the CFL will continue to address in line with its absolute priority of ensuring the safety of customers and staff.

Safety, from 5 to 77 years old
The CFL's safety culture is communicated externally to a variety of audiences. For several years now, awareness-raising campaigns and in situ information sessions have been aimed at the very young. The "Léiwi & Freschi" characters, a lion and a frog, take to the train to explain to pre-school and cycle 2 children (aged 5 to 7) how to behave on the train and in the railway environment. 

The "Ten steps to rail cool" campaign is aimed at pupils in the first year of secondary school (aged 12 to 14). Rules of good conduct with regard to railway infrastructure, rolling stock and CFL staff, etc., are discussed during a dialogue organised in class by the CFL at the request of schools. In this context and to raise awareness among as many people as possible, a new video clip was produced in 2022 with the help of the rapper Maka MC. 

School heads and teachers can contact the CFL Safety, Security and Environment Department at securite@cfl.lu for more information.