Servigroup’s outright ban on mobility scooters in all nine of their Benidorm hotels appears to have spurred the police into action. It remains to be seen whether this is just a short-term knee jerk reaction or whether at long last a proper clampdown on misuse is being instigated. Pass any Servigroup hotel now and you will see the scooters lined up on the pavement outside the entrances.

Three years ago Benidorm Council introduced strict regulations on the hire of electric mobility scooters – but as anyone who visits the resort can see, openly flouted. In their defense not always the fault of the rental companies, but following a sustained backlash by both genuinely disabled and able-bodied witnessing obviously fit young people – often worse for wear, joyriding on them it looks like action is now being taken.

Councillor for Mobility – Jose Ramon Gonzalez de Zarate said his department has sent a list of rental companies here in Benidorm to the Regional Government in Valencia for them to inspect the paperwork to verify that they are legally registered to hire out mobility scooters.
Only this week police have been seen approaching adults on mobility scooters, carrying young children on their laps to tell them that they are breaching the law and to remove the child.

Another recent craze is the increase of electric scooters, which technically is restricted for use on private premises only according to Lorenzo Martinez, Councillor of Public safety. The Guardia Civil have confiscated six from users in the last two weeks alone – you can see young children whizzing up and down the Levante promenade on them, often at high speed. Lets just hope that this is the beginning of a new image for the resort…. there are plenty more issues on the list as we all know, but slowly slowly.