Goodbye to rental scooters in Madrid. The 6,000 permits of the three concession companies that have been operating this service in the capital until now will be revoked by the City Council, due to the failure to comply with the conditions imposed by the City Council for the exercise of their activity.
The mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, explained in a press conference this Thursday that these vehicles have been misused by some users (it is common, for example, to see two people boarding a device, which is prohibited by law), badly parked and represent a danger, “especially for the elderly,” he said to justify his decision.
Dott, Lime and Tier Mobility are the companies that have had the exclusive right to operate in Madrid since mid-2023 and that will be affected by the measure. Of its 6,000 scooters, 3,600 were inside the M-30 (neighborhoods of Centro, Arganzuela, Retiro, Salamanca, Chamartín, Tetuán and Chamberí) and 2,400 outside.
The abundance of scooters on the sidewalks and people traveling on pedestrian routes has been one of the most frequent problems caused by the emergence of this means of transport in Madrid. The City Council assured during the presentation of the new licenses, in 2023, that with the new authorizations, operators have the technology to force customers to park only in specific areas of the Central district. In the rest of the city, they will be able to park outside provided that there is no space for motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and VMP within 50 meters of the parking lot.
But the reality is that these technologies have not prevented images of scooters parked on sidewalks less than a meter wide, making it difficult for pedestrians to pass. According to data from the Madrid City Council, scooter rental companies have accumulated up to 94,927 fines in 2022.
“The technological issue has not been enough, the conditions are not right for there to be concessionary companies in Madrid,” said Almeida, indicating that he made the decision to safeguard “the safety of pedestrians.” He also affirmed that the service currently offered by Bicimad throughout the city is sufficient to guarantee this type of rental trips.
The mayor was frank about the end of scooter rentals in Madrid. “There will be no new permits for companies by the City Council,” Almeida concluded as to whether a technological improvement could facilitate the return of these devices. However, he clarified that the use of personal scooters is still allowed throughout the city, under the terms established by its mobility regulations.
