Scooters in Malaga: These are the new regulations every user needs to know about

New road rules for people who use the two-wheeled vehicles are about to be approved as part of the city's new mobility guidelines

Chus Heredia

Malaga

Tuesday, 16 January 2024, 17:10

Malaga has stipulated new rules about proper use of scooters in the city under new mobility guidelines.

Scooter users must wear a helmet and carry a Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) approved plate on them, according to the new guidelines. It is currently not compulsory for people to carry insurance with them, only the rental agencies. Users are still able to board EMT buses so long as their scooters are foldable, but electric scooters are banned from Cercanías trains, the metro and Metropolitan consortium buses due to the risk of battery fires.

What about certification?

Personal mobility vehicles (VMP) that are marketed in Spain as of 22 January, including electric scooters, must reach minimum technical standards outlined by the DGT. The fine for driving without the certification for new buyers is 100 euros, as is the fine for not wearing a helmet, according to the new guidelines.

Serious offences

Very serious offences which carry a fine of 500 euros include reckless riding; driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; racing or being towed by another vehicle, or using it for hire without authorisation.

Serious offences punishable by fines of 200 euros include: riding at more than 20km/h in the old town, Soho, the CAC area or pedestrian streets, and failing to keep a distance of 1.8m from building fronts or pedestrians. This fine also applies to negligent driving and failure to obey road signs.

• Click for more articles about electric scooters on SUR in English

Minor offences include riding on the pavement and pedestrian areas; parking outside the 50 reserved parking spaces; using an electric scooter under the age of 16; having two or more people on board; driving without lights on at any time of the day; driving a scooter without a braking system or bell and lights and abandoning a scooter on a road.

Scooters account for 7% of urban journeys in Malaga city, with an average of seven fines per day and up to 29 accidents per month. In 83% of the cases the culprit is the scooter driver, according to data from Malaga Local Police.

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