Benidorm police clamping down on the misuse of mobility scooters

Costa Blanca’s Benidorm police are getting strict with the use of mobility scooters and tourists could face a fine of €500 (£425) should they be caught misusing them.

The police have been getting stricter in the last few days and recently a couple were ordered to stop using a scooter after they were caught using a vehicle meant for one person the Mail confirmed on Monday, July 25.

In 2019 Benidorm Council banned the use of mobility scooters, electric scooters and Segways on pavements. Councillors in the Spanish tourist hotspot also voted unanimously to approve laws that impose a 12mph speed limit on them.

A spokesman for Benidorm council said: “A campaign has been launched to inform establishments that hire these vehicles to make sure they are complying with municipal by-laws and police officers are also keeping tabs on the people who are using them.”

“Some people go too fast or use them in places where they shouldn’t and that generates complaints from drivers and pedestrians.”

The spokesman admitted at the sitcom Benidorm featuring Sheila Reid as Madge Harvey was to blame for the surge in popularity of the mobility scooters.

“There are definitely more mobility scooters on the streets because of the TV show,” he said “We want to make sure they are used responsibly and for legitimate reasons. This has not always been the case.”

Serious breaches of the regulations attached to their use can carry a fine of up to 500 Euros (£425).