Many Madrid residents welcomed the recent ban of electric rental scooters, pointing to the dangers associated with “reckless” use for both riders and citizens.
“They are really dangerous, and I would never ride one,” said Valentina Perez, a Madrid resident. “One of my friends’ parents almost died from getting in an accident while using an e-scooter.”
Madrid Mayor José Luis Martinez-Almeida banned the use of public rental e-scooters this September and terminated the contracts of the companies that supplied them: Lime, Dot, and Tier. As of Oct. 31, around 6,000 rental e-scooters had been removed from Madrid, according to Spanish press reports. Privately-owned e-scooters are still permitted on Madrid city streets.
According to The Guardian, Paris and Melbourne passed similar bans.
The Madrid ban followed a wave of resident complaints regarding misuse of the vehicles, reckless driving and parking violations, especially by tourists, European news outlets reported. Rental companies also failed to follow city rules prohibiting scooter rental in pedestrian-only areas, including historic parks. According to Spanish news reports, the rental companies failed to provide the Madrid council with data concerning scooter rental and drop-off spots, violating the terms of their contract.
Maribel, a worker at the Recargate gift shop in Moncloa bus station, said she noticed tourists’ riding recklessly in pedestrian areas.
“I think that many tourists misused the scooters as they did not understand Madrid’s traffic rules and signals,” Maribel said over Google Translate. “The ban forces tourists to use methods of transport that are safer for all.”
Danny Michaud, a 20-year-old tourist from Chicago, Illinois, thinks rental e-scooters pose risks for all people on Madrid’s streets.
“They are dangerous for the people riding them and the civilians walking around them,” said Michaud. “It is so easy for a pedestrian to get hit by a scooter.”
But some Madrid residents and visitors say banning the rental scooters is not the right solution. Colleen Ann Kowalski, a study abroad student, said that the scooters are dangerous but thinks there are better options than a complete ban.
“I would suggest limiting the authorized riding areas and restricting the number of active scooters being used at once,” said Kowalski. “I think there are ways that e-scooters can be effectively regulated if other rental companies and the city of Madrid can cooperate.”
Jimena Conde, a 19-year-old student from Madrid, said e-scooters are especially dangerous at night. “I have a friend that takes e-scooters home from the club, and I think if you are drinking while riding one, it can be very dangerous,” Conde said.
Even so, she doesn’t support the ban. Scooters, she said, are no riskier than bikes or skateboards – at least to the rider: “If you want to take the risk it’s up to you,” Conde said.
Roberto Jaramillo, a 25-year-old from Columbia, said he was sorry to learn about the ban of an environmentally-friendly mode of transportation. According to Forbes magazine, electric scooters are more than three times more environmentally efficient than vehicles with combustion engines. They also reduce noise and light pollution.
“It is wrong,” Jaramillo said over a Google Translate conversation, referring to the ban. “We are supposed to be in a time of conservation of our planet and environmentally friendly means of transport.
