Palma town hall anticipates that regulation of the use of personal mobility vehicles will be in force next month. The vehicles the town hall has in mind are electric scooters and Segways. Their use will be limited to cycle lanes and so they will be banned from pavements, except where there is specific authorisation, as well as from pedestrianised streets, squares and parks.
Children under the age of 12 will be able to use ordinary, non-motorised scooters and boards, so long as they are accompanied by adults and do not go faster than normal walking speed. Segways and electric scooters will be limited to over-16s, and riders will need to wear helmets. The vehicles will also need to have the same safety features as a bike, e.g. bell, lights and reflectors.
The town hall's councillor for mobility, Joan Ferrer, says that the number of these vehicles has increased significantly and that the town hall believes that it is necessary to regulate their use on safety grounds. "The aim is to prevent these vehicles from colliding with pedestrians."
Further requirements will be: maintaining a distance of two metres away from pedestrians; moving no faster than walking speed; being at least one metre away from the fronts of buildings; not using vehicles while under the influence of alcohol; not using mobiles and not wearing headphones.
Companies which rent vehicles out will have to limit groups to six people plus a guide for Segways.
The Palma move follows Calvia's announcement last week that it will amend bylaws so that electric scooters and similar cannot be ridden on pavements or promenades.
Sant Llorenç and Son Servera town halls were the first to introduce restrictions on the use of Segways and other vehicles. As Cala Millor is in both municipalities, the town halls acted together in spring 2016 in limiting when and where they could be used in order to "put order into the chaos" of vehicles on pavements and promenades.
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Palma is a great walking city. We all need to exercise so instead of being lazy, explore the city on foot. Of course the companies marketing these 'tours' won't be happy but they really are a menace. In a world where more and more people are eating unhealthy foods and not exercising, these only make it easier.