Council voting on new mobility scooter by-laws

A press release was issued this morning announcing the much awaited by-law on what many consider the scourge of Benidorm - mobility scooters!
The council have now passed the amendment regulating the use of mobility scooters on the streets of the town, thanks to the additional votes of non PP councillors.

Any users under the age of 55 will be required to show "proof" of disability or illness, necessitating the use of a mobility scooter to enable them to get around. All users will also be required to take out public liability insurance for a minimum of 60,000 euros, to cover any possible damage caused by the the scooter - most of the hire companies already provide some kind of cover but it will be your responsibility to check the sum covered.

Scooter anyone?

Anyone caught driving erratically can now be stopped and asked to take a breathalyser test - in much the same way as motorists and face having the scooter impounded and be issued with a fine, ranging between 50 - 90 euros. If for any reason the scooter is impounded your hire contract will be terminated with immediate effect and the cost of retrieving the vehicle passed on to the user.... that 35 euro per week hire fee begins to not look so cheap now!

The council has also decided to introduce a register, which all hire companies will have to enrol on - it is estimated that there are over 500 electric mobility scooters in Benidorm - probably more than any other city in the world.

How to carry two 5 litre bottles on a bike!

Another category which falls under the umbrella of mobility affects bike users. There are plenty in Benidorm, especially around the many campsites, who are predominantly British or Dutch and use their bikes on a daily basis. I have often seen couples carrying a weeks worth of shopping between them on their bikes!  Current by-laws that exist have been modified, introducing a speed limit of 10 km per hour when on pavements and 20 km per hour on bike lanes. Another change which comes into immediate effect for motorists is an hour reduction for the blue pay & display zones - they will now only run until 8pm instead of 9pm.