The Governing Board of the Santa Cruz City Council will today approve the bases that must govern the authorizations that are given to rental companies electric scooters regulations that establish that only two companies will be authorized and that the maximum number of scooters that will be allowed in the city will be 1,292. The bases regulate the right to use land in the public domain, for the parking and location of electric scooters. In addition, the conditions under which companies must carry out their activity during the validity period of the authorization are detailed, which will be one year, with the possibility of extending it up to four, all in order to “guarantee that they offer a quality service to users, as well as avoiding problems of over-exploitation or incorrect exploitation of the public domain, and/or possible inconvenience to citizens”.
According to the distribution made by the City Council, each district will have a specific number of parking lots and scooters, according to its population. Thus, Anaga would have nine parking spaces for a maximum of 48 scooters. In Centro-Ifara that distribution would be 63 seats and 448 scooters; in Ofra-Costa Sur the distribution would be 43 seats and 172 personal mobility vehicles (VMP); in Salud-La Salle the places would be 67 and the number of scooters 392; while in the Southwest, the figure is 58 car parks and 232 VMP.
Regarding the maximum number of companies subject to authorization, the City Council sets it at two, of which, depending on what is established by the tax ordinance regulating the rate for private use or special use of municipal public domain assets , will raise 20,000 euros each. In addition, the companies must deposit a guarantee of 50 euros for each of the scooters.
The bases also include the obligation for the authorized company to have an insurance policy that covers all possible damages that may arise from the operation of the electric scooter service, both for users of it and for other users of the electric scooter. public roads and third parties in general, as well as in public or private property. The insurance will have a minimum coverage of 300,000 euros.
Obligations
These concessions also include the obligations to which the public space concessionaires will be subject, such as that they must submit to the conditions established by the City Council at all times for security reasons, with the limitation of the number of vehicles or elements in use. in the municipal public space, which must be adopted at all times for reasons of public safety, road safety, public health, protection of pedestrian traffic, protection of the integrity and conservation of public space and municipal heritage, with the temporary limitation on the number of scooters in circulation.
It is established that if the authorized company does not withdraw the vehicles within the period granted for this purpose, the City Council will proceed to the subsidiary execution at the expense of the authorized company, resorting to the executive route to make effective the cost of said withdrawal and municipal deposit, and compensation for damages caused to the Consistory.
Withdrawal of scooters
The authorized company must remove improperly parked vehicles within a maximum period of 24 hours from the time they were incorrectly parked. This condition of provision of the service will constitute an essential obligation for the authorized company, therefore, its non-compliance will determine the immediate revocation of the authorization.
Once the bases are published, the authorized companies will have 20 days to present their proposals. Some offers in which it will be especially valued that they offer technological solutions to ensure that the scooters park in the reserves where parking is allowed. Also the solution that they offer to minimize the possibility of circulation on sidewalks and through prohibited areas by their users.
Another issue to assess is the presentation of an action plan to make users aware of the regulations and basic criteria for safe circulation on electric scooters, as well as the company’s commitment to offer a percentage discount or bonus, for residents and recurring users, on the general use rate.
“It is essential to regulate a form of mobility that will replace traffic”
The mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, stresses that “for months, we have been committed to regulating the use of these vehicles, which are present in many European capitals” and argues that “this regulation is essential because, in addition to guaranteeing the conditions of accessibility on public roads, in the coming years this type of vehicle will progressively gain prominence with the creation in the city of more lanes for them, a new form of mobility that must gradually replace traffic, always with certain conditions safety for pedestrians and their users”.
For her part, Evelyn Alonso, Councilor for Mobility, recalls that “it is a proposal that we made last year, together with the mayor, when we began to reorganize the geolocated car parks, which have been a success” and advances that “now, we are removing the concession to demand from companies the way in which they should operate”.
“Therefore -adds the councilor- the regularization and information will continue, taking into account that the bases will have some economic complements such as the use of public land” and warns that “we will also notify the concessionary companies that if they do not the bases are complied with, we reserve the right that they can stop operating in Santa Cruz, so we are going to prioritize regulation, but also security.”
