The local authorities in Santa Cruz are unable to fine or remove improperly parked rental scooters in the city. Instead, they are required to inform one of the two concessionaire companies authorized by the City Council (Tier and Ridedott) to operate the service in the municipality. These companies are responsible for relocating or impounding personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) to designated parking areas.
In the case of privately owned scooters that violate parking regulations, municipal officers will impound and relocate them, alerting the towing service to transport them to a designated impound area.
These new measures have been outlined in a recent directive issued to the local police, following instructions from the head of the Citizen Security and Emergencies department of the city council on the proper parking of VMPs. This action has been criticised by police union sources for favouring companies over individuals.
According to these sources, “VMPs are considered vehicles and are subject to the same penalties as any other vehicle. However, the procedures for impounding scooters differ as owners are contacted to remove them, while other vehicles are directly towed to the impound lot with an €85 fine for retrieval.”
The directive received by local officers is a response to the Mobility department of the Santa Cruz City Council concerning the issue of non-compliant scooter parking. It specifies that “VMPs are only permitted to park in designated areas and must be equipped with software that prevents the termination of the lease if parked outside these designated spots.”
“If the designated parking regulations are not adhered to, competent authorities may proceed to relocate VMPs from the street if they have been parked incorrectly for over 48 hours or are deemed abandoned,” the directive further states.
