Benidorm Local Police are carrying out a campaign of controls on personal mobility vehicles, which has resulted in 265 inspections in the last two months

70% of the fines imposed are for driving in pedestrian areas and 14% for driving without a helmet

Most of the violations committed by drivers of personal mobility vehicles (PMV) in Benidorm are due to driving in pedestrian areas, a circumstance that is prohibited and which causes 70% of the violations detected by the Local Police in the controls carried out in the last two months.

In January, the local police began more intensive surveillance due to the proliferation of VMPs and their urban use in the city. Given this situation, the police considered it necessary to take action to allow safe circulation for both the drivers of this type of vehicle - mostly scooters - and for other road users.

The campaign of controls on public roads began in January, although it was reinforced from May "in view of the confusion existing among the users of these vehicles given that the regulation depends on each municipal authority and, therefore, can be different in different municipalities" said the Councillor for Citizen Security, Jesús Carrobles. Thus, from January to May the number of controls carried out was 28 and in May and June this number rose to 53. In total, 81 controls on public roads.

The results of this campaign of controls on VMP indicate that approximately 800 personal mobility vehicles have been inspected in the first six months of the year. Of these inspections, 70% of the infractions were due to driving in pedestrian zones; 14% were committed for driving without a helmet and 10% for not having compulsory civil liability insurance. The remaining 6% were due to other causes.

As regards the reinforcement of controls carried out in the last two months, 151 VMP were inspected in May. The Local Police proceeded to identify three people and made 54 reports through the Municipal Traffic Bulletin. The reports to the Provincial Traffic Headquarters amounted to six and the vehicles impounded were ten.

In June, the number of personal mobility vehicles inspected was 114. During these controls, one person was identified, 54 reports were filed through the Municipal Traffic Bulletin and another five reports were made to the Provincial Traffic Headquarters, with 18 vehicles impounded.

This campaign of controls and inspections of VMP will be in force throughout the summer season, as explained by the councillor "with the aim of continuing to inform and control the use of these vehicles with the main mission of raising awareness among VMP drivers."

Carrobles recalled that the Neighbourhood Council had already expressed its concern in recent meetings about the proliferation of these vehicles, which often travelled through pedestrian areas where they are prohibited. “They had asked us to take measures to improve this problem and, in addition to the campaigns and controls, we are also working on placing signs in various areas, but it is a process that takes time if it is to be done properly” Carrobles specified.