Benidorm council votes to prohibit tandem mobility scooters for safety reasons

Benidorm's town hall officials have adopted a preliminary amendment to the city’s mobility ordinance that would effectively outlaw the hire and operation of tandem mobility scooters throughout the resort. The measure, approved unanimously by the council following an initial 15-day consultation, limits scooter usage to single-seater models in order to improve road safety and align with updated Spanish traffic legislation.

Mobility councillor Francis Muñoz explained the change responds to a surge in accidents involving personal mobility vehicles and electric scooters in pedestrian zones. He emphasized that the restriction is aimed at vehicles marketed as leisure or tourist transport, not at individuals with legitimate mobility needs. The new rules will become active after a mandatory second consultation lasting 30 working days.

Despite the pending ban, local hire companies still advertise tandem scooters online, typically charging around 50 euros for a day and 70 euros for three days, and some operators say they received no prior notice from the council. The decision follows a series of earlier measures, including age and medical-certificate requirements introduced in 2015-2016 and heightened police checks after a fatal single-seat scooter crash in 2022.