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Date Published: 08/08/2024

Orihuela Costa police seize hundreds of illegal electric scooters

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The company made an error in its application to rent scooters along the Orihuela coast

Orihuela Costa police seize hundreds of illegal electric scooters

The car park of the Orihuela Costa Emergency Centre in La Zenia was packed to the rafters this week with around 150 confiscated electric scooters, which were picked up and carried away by the Local Police over the last few days.

There are a couple of scooter companies operating in the area but these specific ones belong to ‘Hoppy’(not to be confused with the ‘hopp’ scooters, which are a similar green colour). According to the Orihuela City Council, several rental companies were given permission to run along the coast for the next three months, but Hoppy made an error in its application.

The company is scrambling to correct the mistake to get its vehicles back on the road as soon as possible but for the time being at least, “their scooters have been withdrawn until everything is in order,” a council spokesperson explained.

In an amusing turn of events, several of the seized scooters were actually rented out by suspecting holidaymakers after they had been picked up by the police, as people assumed they had just been conveniently parked in the centre of La Zenia.

Just two years ago, when scooters exploded in popularity, the Local Police confiscated more than 100 vehicles in and around Orihuela Costa, but in this case, it was mostly because they were badly parked or blocking entrances and footpaths. The rental companies received a firm telling off, and several local and national laws have since been introduced throughout Spain to regulate scooter use.

With regard to the latest seizure, many locals have taken to social media to say they are glad there are fewer of them on the roads, with one user referring to them as a “menace.” However, these personal mobility vehicles can be a real lifeline to visitors and residents who don’t drive, since the Orihuela Costa continues to suffer from a serious lack of taxis and buses.

In other news: Alicante Airport strikes extended to last all of August

Image: Rachel Bellamy/ Facebook

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