Spanish cops crack down on Britons aboard MOBILITY SCOOTERS after surge in popularity sparked by Benidorm sitcom: Tourists face £425 fines as tired police target ‘dangerous’ driving
- Scooters are said to have been made popular by the hit TV show ‘Benidorm’
- Spanish officers in Benidorm have been told to ‘step up’ controls on their use
- Officials said some users were taking them where they shouldn’t, prompting complaints from drivers and pedestrians in the Costa Blanca resort
- Serious regulatory breaches can result in a fine of up to £425
Spanish police in Benidorm are cracking down on the use of the resort’s famous mobility scooters, with tourists facing fines of up to £425 for improper use.
Over the past few days, officers have stepped up their checks on scooters, made popular by Madge on the hit TV show Benidorm. A couple have been ordered to stop after being caught in a one-person vehicle.
Council chiefs confirmed today that police have been told to ‘step up’ checks on the rental and use of scooters, which are particularly popular with tourists and British expats who have helped make Benidorm the first British resort on the Costa Blanca.
Spanish Benidorm police are cracking down on the use of the resort’s famous mobility scooters, with tourists facing fines of up to £425 for improper use
A council spokesperson said: ‘A campaign has been launched to inform establishments who hire out these vehicles to ensure they are complying with council regulations and the police are also monitoring those who use them.
“Some people go too fast or use them in places they shouldn’t and that generates complaints from drivers and pedestrians.”
Council officials say they have met with representatives of campsites and hotel associations to ensure they play a role in informing tourists about their responsibilities on scooters.
Serious breaches of regulations related to their use can be subject to a fine of up to 500 euros (£425).
Serious breaches of regulations related to their use can be subject to a fine of up to £425)
The scooters were made popular by Madge on the hit TV show Benidorm (pictured)
Mobility scooters are only intended for people over the age of 55, unless they have mobility issues. Only people with reduced mobility can use them on sidewalks and should not go faster than walking.
Elsewhere, users should stick to a top speed of just over 12 miles per hour and helmets should be worn at all times.
Benidorm Mobility Councilor Jose Ramon Gonzalez de Zarate said: “We want to make sure that these mobility scooters, which have become more popular in cities, don’t cause problems.”
Already ten years ago locals complained that it was common to see groups of people in fancy dress stag weekends quarrying around Benidorm.
Resort radio host Dave Rowland was quoted in 2013, before new regulations were introduced limiting their use, as saying: ‘I know of at least two occasions where people have walked through fixed glass panels while they were drunk, thinking in their drunken state that these were automatic doors.
“There have also been times when people have gotten stuck trying to roll on the beach.”
A spokesperson for Benidorm council admitted at the time that the sitcom starring Sheila Reid as Madge Harvey was to blame for the rise in popularity of mobility scooters, saying: “There are certainly more than mobility scooters on the streets because of the tv show.
“We want to make sure they are used responsibly and for legitimate reasons. It hasn’t always been the case.’
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