Several community groups in Santa Cruz, part of the Centro-Ifara area, have united to urge the City Council to implement stricter regulations concerning the 1,292 electric scooters now operating in the city. These personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) are causing significant unease among residents due to safety concerns and disruptions.
Representatives from Centro Residencial Anaga, La Muralla, Zona Centro El Perenquén, La Ninfa-Ifara, Toscal Tribulaciones, Rambla Pulido, and La Arboleda recently met with district manager Purificación Díaz, along with Councillor for Mobility Evelyn Alonso and the head of traffic for the Local Police, among other municipal officials. During the meeting, the community groups urged the council to take actions to enhance road safety and improve coexistence between electric scooter users and pedestrians.
The groups presented seven essential points to help regulate the use of these vehicles. These include allowing only one rider per scooter, prohibiting riding on sidewalks or pedestrian zones, ensuring scooters are parked without obstructing pedestrians or other vehicles, requiring minors under 16 to wear helmets, restricting the use of headphones or mobile phones while riding, imposing penalties for riding under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and mandating the use of reflective clothing at night.
They also suggested implementing a reporting system for citizens to report improperly parked scooters or serious offences committed by users on the spot. The penalties would then be charged to the rental company, which would in turn hold the rider accountable. The community groups proposed the evaluation of this system through an app similar to MejorSC. They further called for the removal of current scooter parking spaces outside several schools in the area, a request that the council acknowledged. However, they expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of clear responses to other demands made by residents’ representatives, as the council cited either the responsibility of the General Directorate of Traffic or inadequate police resources for enforcing proper scooter usage.
