European Mobility Week addresses PMVs with students in Pere Maria Orts i Bosch High School
450 scooters were removed from public roads and taken to the municipal depot in Benidorm for violating the Mobility Ordinance
This afternoon, games and activities for children on Av. de l’Ametlla de Mar
The Children's Municipal Traffic Park in Salt del Aigua hosted this morning the first of Thursday's activities as part of European Mobility Week (EMW), aimed at young people who have reached, or are about to reach, 16 years of age, the age at which they can drive a PMV (Personal Mobility Vehicle).
The Councilors for Mobility and Education, Francis Muñoz and Maite Moreno, and the Chief Superintendent of the Benidorm Local Police, Luis Martín Arévalo, attended, along with dozens of students from the Pere Maria Orts i Bosch Secondary School, a training session on the knowledge, use, and obligations of scooters, which was presented by the force's officers based at the Children's Traffic Park.
"The scooter is not a toy," said Muñoz, "it is a means of transportation that must circulate on authorised roads." The talk reviewed the provisions of Municipal Mobility Ordinance No. 1 regarding vehicle ownership that can be driven by those 16 years of age or older.
Francis Muñoz pointed out that, with this initiative, part of the SEM (Secretary of State for the Environment), the City Council aims to "increase pedestrian safety" and ensure that scooter users can ride safely, "knowing their obligations and the conditions under which they can ride."
Thus, during the training, it was emphasised that to ride, PMVs must be approved, have insurance, a bell, and reflective materials; and that drivers must wear a helmet, drive in designated areas, and park their vehicles in designated spaces, among other regulations.
Likewise, the officers reminded users or future users of this type of vehicle that modifying the firmware to increase its power and speed is strictly prohibited. In this regard, so far in 2025, the Benidorm Local Police have seized a total of 450 PMVs with irregularities, and of these, 200 have ultimately been scrapped and destroyed due to the impossibility of reversing the changes made to the software, or due to the lack of necessary documentation (proof of purchase between individuals, for example) that would allow them to be returned to their owners.
Francis Muñoz noted that the process "that deregisters the vehicle" involves its "subsequent decontamination and recycling, which is a delicate and costly process" that should only be carried out in authorised treatment centres. Modifying a PMV can result in its loss and the subsequent administrative sanction for its owner.
Finally, the Mobility Councillor noted that this afternoon, the EMW events will continue on Av de l’Ametlla de Mar, where, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., there will be “children's games, inflatables, and face painting.”
EMW 2025 Program
On Friday, the 19th, Urban Transport Day will be celebrated. In collaboration with the bus concessionaire, Avanza, an agreement has been reached to make transfers free for urban line users. The city also plans to introduce a new line, line 26, which will use a minibus to cover the route around Avenida de Venezuela, the Foietes health and specialty center, and its surrounding areas.
On Saturday, Plaza de Sant Jordi de España will host a charity bicycle market between 5 and 6 p.m., where citizens can bring bicycles they no longer use from their homes so they can be donated to an NGO that will give them a second life among people in need.
The following day, on Sunday, September 21st, the charity race "On the Front Line" will begin at 9:00 a.m., organised by Benidorm Local Police Cultural Association in collaboration with Aspanion (Association of Mothers and Fathers of Children with Cancer in the Valencian Community), with the involvement of Benidorm City Council.
Finally, on Monday, the 22nd, "Car-Free Day" will be celebrated. Traffic will be further restricted on Paseo de Poniente, on Armada Española Avenue, between 11:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., with access limited to fords and public transport only. Likewise, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Alcalde José Such Ortega Street will also be closed to traffic, where bouncy castles and other children's games will be set up to mark the culmination of Mobility Week.
To complement all these activities, the city is also participating from today until the 22nd in the "Walk for your city" challenge, an initiative that counts the number of steps taken by residents of each city. Anyone who wishes to join can do so through the free "Walk15" mobile app. At the end of the week, the places that have collected the most steps for this cause will be awarded prizes, promoting not only more sustainable mobility but also well-being and healthier lifestyles.
