Outlook as of September 27, 2026: The Bochum police and the city of Witten have announced a joint enforcement focus on bicycle, pedelec, and e-scooter traffic for Monday, September 28. The focus will be on the use of correct traffic areas and potential technical modifications. The operation has been announced but has not yet taken place: there are no figures on violations or sanctions for this date as of yet.
What is to be checked on Monday
According to the announcement by the Bochum police on September 25, officers will be looking out for e-scooters on sidewalks, technically modified vehicles, and other safety-related violations, among other things. In addition, the police and the city intend to provide information and speak with road users. An information booth has been announced for the area near the Stadtgalerie Witten. The report mentions neither specific inspection times nor a list of inspection points for September 28. Anyone concluding fixed inspection locations or a final report from this would be going beyond the source material.
What can be inferred from the operation in August
This is not the first joint operation: According to the police summary of August 20, officers checked 36 e-scooters, 53 bicycles, and 27 pedelecs on August 19. At that time, the focus was also on education and the penalization of individual violations, such as riding on the sidewalk or two people on one e-scooter. The 36 checked e-scooters are not a figure for the upcoming operation and do not constitute an accident or violation rate for Witten.
A practical rule check
Section 10 of the Ordinance on Miniature Electric Vehicles (eKFV) specifies that within built-up areas, cyclists should primarily use bike paths, appropriate shared or separated pedestrian and bike paths, bike lanes, and bicycle streets. If these are not available, the road may be used. A sidewalk is therefore generally not a riding surface for e-scooters; explicitly authorized exceptions are possible. Section 3 eKFV sets the minimum age at 14 years. For participation in public road traffic, Section 2 eKFV requires, among other things, a valid operating permit and a valid insurance sticker. Technical modifications may affect the authorization; whether this is the case for a specific vehicle can only be assessed based on its design and documentation.
For riders, the announcement is primarily an occasion to check traffic surfaces, stickers, and unmodified vehicle configurations. The already approved changes for 2027 are to be considered separately in terms of timing: this article describes the rules in effect on September 27, 2026, and the planned operation on the following day.
Sources
- Bochum Police, announcement dated 09/25/2026
- Bochum Police, summary of the operation on 08/19/2026
- eKFV Section 10, Section 3 and Section 2
Note: The operation has been announced. Results, exact inspection locations, and times were not published as of 09/27/2026. Legal information does not replace an assessment of individual cases.