In 2022 the local police in Palma issued 2,315 fines to electric scooters riders and 330 accidents were recorded, 74 percent more than in 2021. Thus, they urge the Directorate General of Traffic to tighten the regulations
In 2022, a total of 2,315 fines were levied on personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) – popularly known as electric scooters – amounting to penalties of 77,424 euros. In 2021, 1,329 were imposed. Thus, they have asked Trafico to tighten the control measures for scooters.
As explained by the first deputy mayor for Citizen Safety, Joana Adrover, the City Council is in favour of new modes of transport that are alternatives to private vehicles “as long as they respect traffic regulations”. “We don’t want to criminalise new types of vehicles, but we do want to ensure that scooters never take away safety from pedestrians,” she added. “For this reason we have launched several campaigns to raise awareness of the regulations and we have also launched campaigns to fine and sanction those who do not respect the rules of the road,” he said.
For his part, the councillor for Mobility, Xisco Dalmau, assured that “pedestrians are the only ones who have to walk on the pavements; in Palma we have implemented mobility policies to increase the kilometres of cycle lanes, segregate lanes and adapt the 30 lanes”.
Fines for driving without a reflective waistcoat in 2022
The main concepts for which scooter drivers have been fined in 2022 are the following:
Riding without a properly fitted reflective waistcoat or harness: 1025.
VMP without a bell, light, braking system or reflective elements: 664.
Driving on pavements or pedestrian-only areas: 109.
Driving with a passenger: 135.
Driving with headphones: 111.
Fines in 2021
In 2021, 1,329 fines were issued, amounting to 46,176 euros. This year the main causes were:
Driving without a properly fitted reflective waistcoat or harness: 366.
VMP without a bell, light, braking system or reflective elements: 318: 318.
Driving on pavements or pedestrian-only areas: 269.
Driving with a passenger: 176.
Driving with headphones: 84.
The figures for previous years are statistically anecdotal, due to the low number of vehicles and the covid-19 pandemic. Thus, in 2020, 172 fines were issued for an amount of 6,680 euros and in 2019, 20 fines were issued for an amount of 779.80 euros.
Traffic will tighten regulations
Palma City Council has urged the Directorate General of Traffic to tighten the regulations to continue working on the peaceful coexistence between pedestrians, personal mobility vehicles, bicycles and other vehicles, they explained.
It should be remembered that Palma City Council is developing an awareness campaign to promote civic behaviour among users of personal mobility vehicles (PMVs), known as electric scooters. This has a cost of around 15,000 euros.
The campaign focuses on the specific regulations of the scooters themselves, such as that no two people can travel on the same vehicle; that they cannot ride on pavements or pedestrian walkways; that they must be at least 15 years old; that they can only ride on a cycle lane or on roads with a speed of 30 km/h or less; that they cannot use headphones or mobile phones and that they must wear reflective elements, such as a waistcoat.
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