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Santos evaluates using monitoring technology on bike lanes to measure the speed of self-propelled electric vehicles and identify modifications made to the equipment. The proposal involves mobile radars, dynamometers, and adjustments to the municipal law regulating the circulation of scooters, skateboards, unicycles, hoverboards, and some scooter models.
On the coast of São Paulo, Santos is considering purchasing portable radars to monitor the speed of self-propelled electric vehicles on the city’s bike lanes, as part of a proposal that also includes the use of a dynamometer to identify modifications that could enhance the original performance of these devices.
The measure was reported by the City Hall to A Tribuna newspaper on Wednesday (10) and is still under review by the Municipal Administration, which sent a draft amendment to Law No. 4.221/23, the local regulation responsible for governing the circulation of these devices on public roads, bike lanes, and cycle paths.
Vehicles involved in the discussion include scooters, hoverboards, electric skateboards, unicycles, and some models sold as scooters, provided they have characteristics compatible with self-propelled equipment, a category powered by its own motor and used for individual transportation.
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According to the proposal reported by the City Hall, the mobile radars would serve to measure speed during circulation, while the dynamometer would allow checking for modifications to exceed the factory speed, an important point to differentiate permitted equipment from vehicles classified in other categories.
Monitoring in Santos hampered by lack of plates
One of the main challenges pointed out by the Municipal Administration is the practical monitoring method, since most of these devices do not have identification plates, registration, or licensing, which complicates the traditional accountability applied to motor vehicles in traffic.
According to the rules of Resolution No. 996/2023 of the National Traffic Council, electric bicycles and self-propelled individual mobility devices do not need registration, licensing, and plating to circulate, as long as they meet the technical criteria defined by the federal standard.
This scenario helps explain why Santos studies specific control mechanisms, as simply measuring speed does not address all enforcement points when the vehicle lacks external identification capable of quickly linking the infraction to the driver.
In municipal legislation, Santos already establishes its own rules for the circulation of these devices on bike lanes and cycle tracks, without excluding the application of federal traffic regulations when the vehicle begins to exhibit characteristics of a moped, motorcycle, scooter, or tricycle.
Radar and dynamometer on bike lanes
With the adoption of a portable radar, the speed of self-propelled vehicles would be monitored in a logic similar to that applied on public roads, but adapted to the cycling infrastructure, where conventional bicycles, pedestrians at crossings, and users of light electric devices circulate.
The dynamometer would have a different function in this process, as it would evaluate the performance of the stationary equipment and allow verification of any mechanical or electronic alterations to increase the maximum speed defined by the manufacturer, a practice that can change the vehicle’s legal classification.
In practice, a device sold as a scooter does not automatically receive a single classification just because of the commercial name used in the market, as the classification depends on objective characteristics, such as power, maximum speed, and usage configuration.
For this reason, a two-wheeled vehicle without pedals can be treated as self-propelled, a moped, or even a motorcycle, according to the technical limits defined by legislation, and not just by appearance or how it is advertised to the consumer.
National rules differentiate self-propelled and mopeds
In Resolution No. 996/2023 of Contran, self-propelled individual mobility devices include vehicles with one or more wheels, equipped or not with a self-balancing system, intended for individual movement in areas authorized by the authority responsible for the road.
The federal regulation also mandates that electric bicycles and self-propelled devices respect the maximum speed regulated by the authority with jurisdiction over the road when circulating on bike lanes, cycle tracks, and cycle routes, allowing for more specific municipal rules.
In guidance on enforcement on the coastal bike lane, the Santos City Hall stated that electric vehicles up to 1,000 W and a maximum manufacturing speed of up to 32 km/h can circulate on the cyclist track according to the Contran resolution.
Despite this national classification, the municipality highlighted that the local rule limits speed on bike lanes to 20 km/h, a condition that applies to the use of these devices in the city’s cycling spaces.
The same municipal guidance states that electric bicycles, scooters, and self-propelled devices must have mandatory accessories to circulate in these spaces, such as a speedometer, bell, night lighting, rearview mirror, and tires in adequate safety conditions.
Safe Bike Lane Operation on the Santos Shoreline
Even before the proposal for radars, the monitoring of electric vehicles on the bike lanes of Santos was already being carried out by the Traffic Engineering Company, with educational and operational approaches on the shoreline to guide drivers and curb the irregular use of these devices.
In January 2026, the City Hall reported that more than 700 approaches to users of electric bicycles and other self-propelled vehicles were conducted by the Safe Bike Lane Operation in just two weekends, with the action of CET-Santos on the shoreline bike lane.
In this context, the possible purchase of mobile radars emerges as an additional stage of the monitoring work, focusing on measuring speed and verifying modifications capable of transforming individual mobility devices into vehicles subject to stricter rules.
While the draft amendment to Law No. 4.221/23 remains under review, the City Hall still needs to define the operation model, the criteria for approach, and the form of holding drivers accountable in cases of speeding or detected tampering.
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