In recent times, personal mobility devices (electric scooters) have surged in popularity as a mode of transport within urban areas of Tenerife and much of Spain. Their widespread usage has led to considerable issues, such as the uncontrolled encroachment on public spaces, disordered parking situations, and heightened risks for both pedestrians and drivers. In response to these challenges, the Adeje Town Council has opted to intervene and become the second municipality in Tenerife, following Santa Cruz de Tenerife, to enact specific regulations governing their use.
Among the proposed measures, the compulsory wearing of helmets for operators of these vehicles and an increase in fees for the retrieval of scooters from municipal facilities are particularly noteworthy. This initiative, aligned with the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS), aims to better organise and regulate the use of such vehicles.
Mercedes Vargas Delgado, the Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Security and Mobility at the Adeje Town Council, has been responsible for drafting the regulations. The councillor foresees approval “before the year’s end” and states, “we have been refining this regulation for months,” describing it as “meticulous and crucial work to avoid any future legal challenges.” For this reason, she emphasises the necessity for the regulations to be “strict and rigorous” to ensure their effectiveness.
SCOOTER Storage in 2023
This document seeks to address one of the primary concerns troubling citizens while ensuring that public space is utilised in an orderly fashion. To date, the congestion of scooters in Adeje has resulted in the removal of over 4,000 vehicles in 2023 alone, a statistic that aptly demonstrates the scale of the issue. Vargas clarifies that “this dilemma has persisted for three years now, affecting not just the municipality,” but the entirety of the Canary Islands, “with comparable figures, nearly 15,000 scooters removed in total during this timeframe. The multitude of poorly parked vehicles blocking pavements, pedestrian pathways and public areas has generated mounting dissatisfaction among residents,” she noted.
CONTROL OVER COMPANIES
“We intend to tighten the regulations to oversee and structure the territory,” the deputy mayor adds. In this regard, the PMUS will not solely focus on restricting the number of scooters in the municipality but also on ensuring “safe and responsible utilisation.” Among the proposed initiatives is the mandatory use of helmets for riders, aiming to decrease the occurrences of accidents and ensure the safety of users as well as other pedestrians and vehicles.
An additional significant aspect of the regulations entails oversight over companies that provide electric scooters. According to Vargas, three businesses are currently officially registered in the municipality, yet the absence of robust vehicle management has been “a recurring challenge.”
For this reason, Vargas announces that elevated rates will be implemented for the retrieval of scooters that are left abandoned on public thoroughfares and remain in municipal storage, a strategy designed to encourage responsible practices among operators.
Simultaneously, the Adeje Town Council has commenced promoting educational sessions in schools regarding the responsible use of these vehicles, aimed at sensitising young citizens about the importance of adhering to the regulations.
A regional problem
Although Adeje is the first municipality in southern Tenerife to proceed with regulations in this domain, other areas in the region, such as Arona, are also currently developing similar ordinances. However, Mercedes Vargas acknowledges the challenges involved in coordinating efforts among different municipalities when “there are no distinct geographical boundaries,” as is the situation with the delineations between these two southern areas, both of which have high tourist activity.
The Troya ravine bridge acts as a separator, but “there is no geographical barrier between Arona and Adeje. And we, as a company with a contract signed with Arona, cannot impose penalties,” the councillor laments. This legal gap highlights, as she points out, the pressing need for enhanced collaboration among local administrations to ensure the effectiveness of the regulations.
With the implementation of the PMUS, the Adeje municipality not only aims to organise the area and guarantee pedestrian safety but also to foster more sustainable and balanced mobility. As Vargas stresses, “all parties involved, both companies and users, must maintain order, and it is the responsibility of administrations to promote regulations that facilitate coexistence.”