Madrid by electric scooter

Getting around on an electric scooter is a convenient way to discover Madrid. Use of the so-called Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMV) - a term that includes segways - is regulated by the Sustainable Mobility By-Law. In 2023, the new shared electric scooters started to operate in Madrid under the new model of permits, but Madrid City Council has revoked the permits for rental scooters.

Note: The companies awarded the contract have appealed against this decision and their scooters are still available to rent. 

On 3 May 2023, Madrid City Council launched a new model for electric scooter rental, following a competitive process, which aimed to ensure greater safety, integration and order on its streets. Permits were granted to three companies for a period of three years with the aim of reducing the number of vehicles used on the streets of Madrid. It was limited to 6,000 scooters (2,000 per operator). Dott, Lime and Tier Mobility were the companies that obtained the highest score in the evaluation of the concession criteria.

However, the Department of Urban Development, Environment and Mobility has carried out regular inspections and has been able to corroborate that the three operators are in breach of the conditions laid out in the permits, providing the grounds  to unilaterally withdraw the permits without the right to compensation.

Therefore, Madrid City Council has embarked on the procedure to revoke the permits granted to the three shared electric scooter rental companies, although the companies awarded the contract have appealed against this decision and their scooters are still available to rent.

Rates and rental

The average price for renting an electric scooter is €0.15 per minute, with prices ranging from €0.11 to €0.23 per minute. The procedure for renting a scooter is very simple and always works the same way. Simply register on the application of the companies that offer the service, enter your card details, find the scooter you want to use on the street, scan the QR code affixed to the scooter, and enjoy your ride. And when you have finished, record this on the app as well so you only pay for what you use.

Basic rules

• It is strictly prohibited to ride or park electric scooters on the pavement, in bus lanes, on streets with more than one lane in each direction, or along slip roads and sections of the M-30 that do not have traffic lights.

• They may only be used on roads within 30km/h zones and in cycle lanes, so it is also prohibited to ride them on interurban roads, highways, motorways, and in urban tunnels.

• The maximum speed is limited to 25 kilometres per hour. When riding on cycle paths, cycle lanes, and in 20km/h zones, you must keep at least 1 metre's distance from pedestrians, and if that is not possible, you must dismount and walk beside the electric scooter. In public parks, you can only ride through areas where you can ride a bicycle, but, if paths are shared with pedestrians, the speed limit is 5 kilometres per hour.

• PMV users are required to comply with general alcohol and drug regulations

• The minimum age required to ride these vehicles is 15. Children under the age of 15 can only use scooters that are suitable for their height and weight and must ride on authorised paths, in spaces where no traffic is permitted, and accompanied by and under the responsibility of their guardians.

• The use of an approved helmet is recommended. However, it's only mandatory for children under the age of 18 or if riding on a multimodal lane at 25 kilometres per hour

• All scooters must be fitted with a bell, braking systems, lights and approved reflective elements

• Users may not use their mobile phone or headphones connected to audio players or receivers whilst riding

• Under no circumstances can two people ride on the same vehicle

Finally, it's important to note that, at the beginning of 2021, the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) introduced new measures at a national level in order to increase safety on our urban roads. These measures will form part of a future law that will regulate the use of e-scooters throughout Spain.

Where can we park the scooter?

Scooters must be parked in spaces marked for motorcycles and bicycles, and if none are available, you can park them in the general parking available on the road. Exceptionally, it is also possible to park them on the pavement, provided that it is next to the curb and that there are more than 3 metres of pavement available, so as not to obstruct pedestrians and people with reduced mobility. If the pavement is less than 6 metres wide, scooters must be parked parallel to the curb, and if it is wider, they may be parked at an angle.

Members of the controlled parking service, or the Servicio de Estacionamiento Regulado (SER), are authorised to penalise any scooters that fail to comply with new regulations and are parked in prohibited places.

You may not park a scooter when the streets are designated as special pedestrian protection areas or there are specific signs that prohibit it. This is the case with Gran Via, where the flow of pedestrians is intense, and scooters might put them at risk.

You cannot park at public bus stops (EMTs), in places reserved for people with reduced mobility, taxi ranks, or over manhole covers or other services (telecommunications, energy, waste collection, etc.).

Scooters with anti-theft chains or padlocks cannot be chained to street furniture or objects such as traffic lights, benches, trees, bus stops, or fences.

With the hope of freeing up space on our footpaths and guaranteeing areas in which pedestrians can move around freely, new bike and e-scooter racks can be found throughout (but not limited to) the city's 17 districts: Arganzuela, Barajas, Carabanchel, Centro, Chamartín, Chamberí, Ciudad Lineal, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Hortaleza, Latina, Moncloa-Aravaca, Retiro, Barrio de Salamanca, San Blas-Canillejas, Usera and Villaverde.