King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has had prohibition signs erected outside Stockholm palace to inform 'commonfolk' that the use of electric scooters there is banned, the newspaper Svensk Dam reported.
However, the prohibition signs are not valid, according to the Road Signs Ordinance, and according to the law putting up illegal road signs is punishable with fines – unless you are king, that is. The traffic office in Stockholm explained to Svensk Dam that it is the king who is ultimately responsible for Lejonbacken, the hill where the castle stands, both in terms of plowing snow, sanding and the regulation of any traffic.
Furthermore, the king cannot be prosecuted for his deeds, according to the Swedish constitution. Criminal immunity covers both acts performed in the service and acts of a purely private nature.
The king therefore appears to be a pioneer when it comes to handling electric scooters. There is no such traffic ban anywhere else in the Swedish capital, Malinda Flodman of the Stockholm Traffic Office said.
“No, we have no areas with a ban on electric scooters. On the other hand, we have a number of low-speed areas where electric scooters may not be ridden faster than walking speed, and a number of areas where it is forbidden to park electric scooters,” Flodman explained.
According to the court, the ban was implemented with safety and maintenance concerns in mind.
“The signs are set up because the wheel tracks of the electric scooters damage the gravel road on Lejonbacken. They create gutters that allow rainwater to carry more gravel. So it's for safety and maintenance reasons,” the court's information director Margareta Thorgren said.
“The signs are set up because the wheel tracks of the electric scooters damage the gravel road on Lejonbacken. They create gutters that allow rainwater to carry more gravel. So it's for safety and maintenance reasons,” the court's information director Margareta Thorgren said.
Interestingly, members of the Royal family don't share the king's aversion and have been seen riding electric scooters. Pictures of Prince Carl Philip swishing past eyewitnesses were published as late as September, whereas Prince Daniel took a ride while visiting the Business School in Stockholm and staging a photo op.
Carl XVI Gustaf ascended to the Swedish throne in 1973 and has been a beloved figure ever since.