Diario de Avisos/EP. | The Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disabilities (CERMI) has urged for the termination of services provided by scooter rental companies throughout all municipalities engaged in this activity.
In this context, they have requested that similar to Madrid, the service of scooter rental companies be “terminated immediately,” as it is “an objectively detrimental activity that endangers the public interest.”
This appeal has previously been made by We want to move, one of the most proactive organisations advocating for the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities, which approached the Prosecutor’s Office in 2022 seeking resolution to the scooter issue in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
CERMI has noted that there is an “increasing number” of cities across Europe, including those in Spain, with Madrid being the latest, that have enacted “stringent measures” to halt the shared scooter rental service. They added that the situation has arisen due to “the severe issues of all kinds resulting from the rampant and chaos-driven usage of these personal mobility devices in communities where they have been implemented.”
“From the viewpoint of vulnerable pedestrians, such as individuals with disabilities, the elderly and children, this new mode of disruptive mobility has solely compromised, and even jeopardised, the physical safety and fundamental right to free movement in urban settings that are accessible, secure and comfortable for all pedestrians,” they emphasized.
Moreover, they highlighted the “absolute incompatibility” of shared scooters with mobility that respects all community members within urban areas. Consequently, in CERMI’s view, “the most prudent decision is to cease this service wherever it operates, revoking the authorisations bestowed by local authorities on grounds of public interest, and blocking its introduction in areas that have yet to experience it.”
