Tenerife
Pedestrians who walk along the promenade in the south of Tenerife, that goes from Los Cristianos to Pueblo Canarias in Las Américas, say that they feel "in danger" due to the large number of electric scooters being ridden along the seafront without control at full speed.
A local resident made a complaint to the police yesterday after his 4-year-old son was "almost" run over by a scooter that was going at full speed on the pavement, a problem that not only occurs here but throughout the Canary Islands.
In July 2021, a man in his 70s died after being knocked over on the Paseo Marítimo in front of Las Vistas beach in Los Cristianos by a scooter, and in another case, a scooter rider was seriously injured after hitting a car in Santa Cruz. But not even these tragedies have managed to change anything in Tenerife, since according to the regulations in Spain they are not considered motor vehicles.
Locals fear that “it is only a matter of time until the next accident that kills someone” because the extremely quiet scooters circulate at speeds close to 20 km/h alongside pedestrians, wheelchairs, pushchairs, the elderly, and children.
They say that “taking a walk with a child has become a real ordeal. It is impossible to explain to children that they must walk without moving to the right and to the left in case they get run over. It is necessary to keep them on a leash as if they were dogs, so neither parents nor children can enjoy the walk.”
Electric scooters can be a useful and eco-friendly means of transportation, but they must be used correctly. Too often, they are zigzagging between pedestrians making them a threat to public safety.
Now, residents are asking “why doesn’t anybody intervene, nobody does anything? Even if they were to create bike lanes marked on the ground dedicated to bicycles and scooters to control the danger. Why do they allow scooters in leisure areas, where alcohol consumption is very common, it seems like a crazy and little-considered decision?"
SCOOTER REGULATIONS:
According to the regulations in force in the Canary Islands, electric scooters must circulate on cycle paths or on roads with a maximum speed of 25 km/h. They cannot be ridden on pavements or in pedestrianised areas.
In addition, they must respect traffic regulations and not use their mobile phones or headphones while riding. Children under 16 must wear a helmet.
However, these rules are not being followed or enforced, or at least it seems so. Electric scooter riders ignore signs and speed limits.
Although the police indeed carried out an operation to remove 100 electric scooters from public roads in Arona, the measure does not seem to be enough to control the situation, as pedestrians feel defenceless against this invasion by not respecting their space, and that they must move out of the way of the scooters so as not to be run over.
Residents want the authorities to take measures that help regulate the use of electric scooters. Users need to be aware of the risk they pose to themselves and to others by going at full speed on pavements.
