Using a VMP for Commercial Purposes

Personal Mobility Vehicles (VMP) are designed for personal use, although there is a separate definition for those used for commercial purposes. What this means, in the most basic form, is that if you are a gig worker, say delivering food, you are not permitted to use an e-scooter designed for personal use. You will have to obtain a vehicle specifically designed for commercial use, and that vehicle must have different, more restrictive characteristics than a personal mobility vehicle.

To be clear, without singling any company out, but to use them as an example, Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats, Glovo, or even your local restaurant, are not permitted to deliver using standard personal mobility vehicles, such as electric scooters.

Most of the technical characteristics are the same as those for personal use, but some elements are more restrictive. The VMP for transporting goods or other services are a type of VMP with at least 3 wheels, 2 of them being located on the axle closest to the load, and which have a platform or box enabled for this use.

The maximum permitted speed range is the same, between 6 and 25 km/h, but the nominal power is higher, less than 1,500 watts.

These vehicles may under no circumstances be dedicated to the transportation of passengers.

The VMP for transporting goods or other services must include auto yellow side reflectors and red rear reflectors, on the edges and vertices of the load, which allow for clearly signalling and distinguishing in low visibility situations both the height and width of the same.

VMPs for transporting goods or other services must have both front and rear direction indicators installed.

Direction indicators installed on the front and/or rear of the vehicle must comply with the emitted light colour requirements set out in Regulation No. 50 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) or in the ISO 6742-1 standard.

The front or rear indicators must be mounted at a maximum height equal to that of the vehicle itself, and the rear indicators at a minimum height of 150 mm, and the minimum geometric visibility angle is 25° with respect to the horizontal plane.

As well as a horn or bell, VMPs for transporting goods or other services must also include an audible reversing warning.

The box, compartment or loading platform must be stable and securely anchored to the vehicle chassis (without rocking), ensuring that its centre of gravity is as low as possible.

In the event that the cargo box is mobile, the platform on which it is located must be non-slip, and must have fixing mechanisms or mooring points that prevent its movement, which must in turn be appropriately sized and designed. to anchor the declared loads.

The VMP for transporting goods or other services must include 2 mirrors, to the left and right of the vehicle, with the field of vision specified in the current regulations for Class L mirrors, and with a useful surface area each of them. of at least 75 cm 2.