The City Council is launching an information campaign about the rental and use of personal mobility vehicles

Benidorm City Council, through its Department of Mobility and the Local Police, held a meeting with local companies that rent personal mobility vehicles to provide them with updated information on the regulations governing the use of these vehicles, as outlined in the Municipal Mobility Ordinance. Those participating in the meeting included the Councillor for Mobility, Francis Muñoz; the Chief of the Local Police, José Carlos Amorós; and the Superintendent and the Mobility Officer of the Local Police, who were responsible for conveying the information to the representatives of the twenty companies in attendance.

Muñoz explained that the objective of the meeting was "to remind them of all the regulations contained in the articles of our Mobility Ordinance regarding the use and rental of these wheelchairs," noting that Benidorm "was one of the first cities in the country to regulate this type of vehicle." Likewise, the aim was also to “extend a hand to cooperate and try to collaborate so that, together, we can improve the regulation and circulation of these types of vehicles on our streets.”

Among the specific regulations regarding the rental and use of these vehicles, as outlined in the municipal ordinance, Muñoz noted that the ordinance regulates everything related to self-propelled wheelchairs in three articles of Ordinance No. 1 on Mobility: articles 133, 134, and 135. These articles stipulate, among other things, that they may only be rented to people over 65 years of age or those with a recognized motor disability that reduces their mobility; that they must be used on sidewalks or pedestrian areas and at the same speed as a pedestrian, without exceeding it; and that they must be parked in areas where they do not obstruct the flow of vehicles and/or pedestrians.

The regulations also prohibit operating these devices under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, and require a municipal license and liability insurance to cover any damages and/or injuries to third parties caused by the device, with a minimum coverage of €60,000 per self-propelled wheelchair.

Francis Muñoz lamented that, despite the extensive municipal regulations on this matter, “there are still users who do not comply, generating complaints from drivers and pedestrians who suffer from the speeding of these vehicles or their use in unauthorised areas, endangering other users and also damaging sidewalks and walkways.”

Hence, "to avoid this situation, this new information campaign has been launched" regarding these vehicles, which will now be complemented by sending a circular to all companies registered in the city to carry out this type of activity, as well as a street-level campaign by the Local Police, who in the coming weeks will be carrying out checks on public roads to verify that companies and users comply with this regulation, penalizing those who do not.