Once upon a time, E-scooters promised to be an excellent solution to mobility problems in cities. They were cheap, convenient, perfect for short distance journeys and caused far less congestion and pollution than cars.
Similar experiments with public bicycle-sharing systems had proved a success in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville.
However, when Arrecife, Playa Honda and Puerto del Carmen woke up around six years ago to suddenly find E-scooters all over their streets, it was clear that this was not a publicly-authorised system. Authorities seemed to be as surprised as everyone else by the sudden influx of Wind scooters, owned by a German company and plonked on the streets of Lanzarote.
And problems immediately arose. Many scooters were left in the street, blocking public pavements, and several users seemed to be unaware that they were using a machine classed as a vehicle. Complaints from pedestrians on pavements and promenades started to flood in, and accidents soon showed that scooters could cause serious risks for those using them, as well as pedestrians.
Added to this was the problem that the off-island scooter companies were using public roads and paths without having bothered to apply for the municipal operating licences that are necessary for any commercial venture.
As a result, Arrecife and Tías councils finally impounded hundreds of the scooters, taking them off the streets and locking them in a depot. Last month, Yaiza also cited the “the absence of qualifications necessary to carry out such activity” as the reason for its decision to remove scooters.
Lanzarote was far from the only region to worry about the safety of scooters, and earlier this year Spain’s Traffic Department introduced strict new laws requiring all scooter owners to be registered, insured, wear helmets and stay off pedestrian walkways.
Yaiza’s decision to remove scooters has seen their numbers decrease hugely in the resorts, but in March, the Spadimur company that first plonked Wind scooters on Arrecife’s streets did the same with several Dott scooters, once again without the knowledge of authorities. Arrecife has ordered local police to check the legality of the new scooters and stated that “we will remove them like we did before” if they do not comply.
Scooters are unlikely to disappear altogether. Many individual owners own and use them and local private rental companies that insist on responsible use are likely to continue providing a service that remains popular among many people, but the “Wild West” days of barely regulated scooter hire appear to be coming to an end.
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