The Plenary of the City Council of San Javier, held on Thursday, gave the go-ahead, with the support of all municipal groups, to the final approval of the municipal ordinance regulating mobility in the municipality, as reported by sources of the consistory in a statement.
The ordinance, which will be published in the Official Gazette of the Region of Murcia (BORM) next week, regulates the use of electric scooters, bicycles, pedestrians, roller skates, skateboards or similar, as well as chairs for people with reduced mobility with or without motor.
The Councillor for Safety, Alba Sánchez, presented the legal text in the plenary session, the aim of which is to «promote road safety and accident prevention».
The Ordinance, which makes up for the lack of a higher regulation, especially with regard to electric scooters, «pursues a friendlier mobility by regulating the compatibility of the use of streets and public roads», according to Sánchez.
The text establishes, among other things, a maximum speed limit of 25 kilometres per hour for any motorised personal mobility vehicle. In relation to scooters, it is forbidden to ride with passengers or to carry animals or objects that hinder driving.
The Ordinance sets the minimum age for driving this type of vehicle at 15 years, and the use of helmets and reflective waistcoats at night is compulsory. Scooters must have a braking system and front and rear lights. It is also recommended to have civil liability insurance, which will be compulsory for rental companies.
It is forbidden to ride in pedestrian areas, such as pavements and walkways, or to use mobile phones, audio players or any other device. Use must be limited to the cycle lane, marked routes or the right-hand verge, where these do not exist.
Scooters must be parked in designated spaces or on designated grids and, if these do not exist, they may be attached to fences or street furniture, provided that this does not cause damage or hinder maintenance work. Furthermore, parking on lampposts, traffic lights or other signposting elements is prohibited.
Sánchez thanked the contributions of other departments and the allegations that have improved the original text, and has announced the opening of a period of adaptation of the regulations and the launch of an information campaign, with the aim of making the population aware of them. The Ordinance will be available on the municipal website, ‘www.sanjavier.es’.