Estepona Introduces Electric Scooter Ordinance: Everything You Need to Know

Estepona is launching this Wednesday, April 8, the Regulatory Ordinance for Traffic and Use of Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMV). The new legal text ... includes aspects established in the national regulations, such as the mandatory requirement for these vehicles to have PMV liability insurance and a manufacturer's circulation certificate. It also sets the minimum age for use at 16 years, the mandatory use of an approved helmet, and the prohibition of driving while using a mobile phone or headphones, or when under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The ordinance also mandates that drivers of these vehicles always respect horizontal and vertical road signs, and if they need to cross a pedestrian crossing, they must do so on foot, like any other pedestrian.

Drivers cannot ride scooters in pedestrian areas or across pedestrian crossings and must signal maneuvers with their arms if the vehicle does not have turn signals

As stated in the national regulations, it is forbidden to ride these vehicles on sidewalks and in pedestrian areas, such as the Seafront Promenade and the main commercial streets of the city (Terraza and Real streets). PMVs can only travel on the road or bike lanes, and their drivers must signal their maneuvers with their arms if they do not have turn signals. The maximum speed will be 25 kilometers per hour on streets with sidewalks, 20 on roads without sidewalks, and 10 km/h in areas specifically marked, and the Local Police will be responsible for applying the established sanctioning regime.

The new municipal regulation recommends the use of appropriate footwear that securely holds the foot and ensures control of the vehicle, as well as the use of reflective vests. "With this ordinance, there is a commitment to improving road safety, new modes of mobility, clean energies, and the peaceful coexistence of its citizens," summarized the Estepona City Council, emphasizing that its goal is also to "ensure" that the circulation of PMVs is done "in an adapted and safe manner."