Crackdown on electric scooters in Maspalomas
The Local Police have removed 40 electric scooters from the streets of Maspalomas in Gran Canaria, after discovering they were either uninsured or their insurance had expired, as part of intensified road safety checks across the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.
The crackdown follows a rise in accidents and incidents linked to the improper use of personal mobility vehicles (PMVs), particularly electric scooters, according to the local council.
Councillor José Carlos Álamo Ojeda, who heads the Department Security and Emergencies, said the growing popularity of these vehicles has been accompanied by increasingly risky behaviour, including riding on pavements, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and operating scooters without the legally required third-party liability insurance.
“These situations pose a significant safety risk not only for the riders themselves but also for pedestrians and other drivers,” he said in a statement.
Police controls uncover multiple offences
Over the past week, Local Police units, including the GOA group and the Traffic and Accident Investigation Unit, carried out several targeted operations focusing on personal mobility vehicles.
The results included:
- 12 e-scooters reported and impounded for lacking compulsory insurance.
- 2 scooter riders testing positive in roadside drug tests.
- 3 riders reported for carrying narcotic substances.
Further traffic checks carried out this week on Avenida Alejandro del Castillo and Avenida de Tejeda in Maspalomas uncovered additional violations:
- 28 more e-scooters reported and taken to the municipal depot for not having valid insurance.
- 2 motorcycles impounded, one for lacking ITV (MOT equivalent) and insurance, and another for driving without insurance.
- 5 vehicles reported for driving with expired ITV certificates.
- 2 scooters reported for riding on the pavement.
New municipal rules in preparation
The council has been working for several months on a new municipal bylaw to regulate the use of personal mobility vehicles, although progress slowed after Spain’s national traffic authority, the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), announced major regulatory changes expected in 2026.
Officials say the local regulation will be adapted to the new national framework once it is finalised.
In the meantime, the council has decided to increase enforcement using existing legislation, which already requires electric scooter users to hold third-party liability insurance.
Álamo stressed that the goal of the operation is not simply enforcement but improving safety. “The use of electric scooters has grown significantly in recent years, but that growth must come with responsibility and respect for traffic rules,” he said.
He added that the future bylaw will help create clearer rules for scooter use in the municipality, improving road safety and ensuring better coexistence between riders, drivers and pedestrians.
“We will continue working to organise scooter use and improve safety on our streets through regulation, awareness and enforcement,” he concluded.
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