Humphrey CarterPalma28/06/2019 04:01
TW

Last year an elderly woman was knocked down and killed by an e-scooter in Catalonia and now a 25-year-old man riding an e-scooter in Paris has been knocked down and killed. Unless European cities, such as Palma, get a serious grip on the situation there will be more fatalities and serious accidents.

Some Spanish cities like Barcelona and Madrid have banned the vehicles from pedestrian zones but there is still no nationwide regulation about their use. The Spanish traffic authority (DGT) is working on a set of national guidelines for the use of the e-scooters, including banning them from pavements, requiring users to wear reflective wear, demanding insurance for the vehicle, and imposing a speed limit of 25 kph. For the moment, there is no set date for the release of the regulations.

However, it appears that the authorities in Palma are cracking down on e-scooter drivers. The police have this week stopped and cautioned an e-scooter rider zooming down the Olmos, which is always packed with locals and tourists. Full marks to the police on the beat. With Palma filling up as summer progresses, pedestrians would be well advised to keep a keen eye out for e-scooters, not to mention skateboarders, rollerbladers and cyclists. Granted, e-scooters are a nifty way to nip about Palma, but they need to regulated.