Hundreds checked as San Javier seizes 55 electric scooters in new crackdown
Policía Local say dozens of scooters have already been removed for failing to meet new legal requirements
Electric scooter users in San Javier are being urged to make sure their paperwork is in order after Policía Local removed 55 vehicles in just over a week as part of a new enforcement campaign.The checks began on Tuesday May 5 and focus on Personal Mobility Vehicles, known in Spain as VMPs, including electric scooters. Officers are stopping riders to verify that the vehicles are properly registered and covered by civil liability insurance under Spain’s updated national regulations.
According to Policía Local, another 16 scooters have already been returned to their owners after they regularised their administrative situation by providing the necessary documents.
In a statement published at the start of the campaign, Policía Local San Javier explained: “We are carrying out a control campaign on Personal Mobility Vehicles to check they comply with current regulations.”The force added that scooters which fail to meet the legal requirements “may be immobilised.”
Under the current procedure, owners are not automatically fined when their scooter is seized. Instead, they are given one week to attend the police offices with the required documentation, specifically proof of registration and insurance.
If the paperwork cannot be provided within that time, the owner may still recover the vehicle, although an administrative complaint could then follow.
The campaign forms part of Spain’s tightening national rules on electric scooters and similar vehicles, which have become increasingly strict since 2025. From Thursday January 2 2026, owners are required to have compulsory civil liability insurance under Law 5/2025, which also introduced the legal category of “Light Personal Vehicle.”
Meanwhile, new DGT registration rules for electric scooters also came into force this year, requiring owners to register vehicles and display an official identification sticker.
Police say the aim is to improve road safety and make it easier to identify vehicles involved in accidents or traffic offences.
San Javier is not the only municipality increasing checks on scooter users. Earlier this year, Cartagena introduced tougher controls including bans on headphones and carrying passengers on electric scooters.
At the same time, several Murcia municipalities have expanded the use of electric scooter patrols by Policía Local officers themselves as authorities try to tackle misuse more effectively.
The latest measures also follow years of concern over road safety linked to modified or illegal scooters, after warnings that altered high-speed scooters were contributing to a rise in accidents in Spain.
For now, San Javier authorities are encouraging owners to “regularise your situation as soon as possible” and help make the municipality’s streets safer for everyone.
Images: Policía Local San Javier
Address
Calle Padre Juan. Centro Cultural Principe de Asturias 30720 SAN JAVIERTel: 968 571 704
Oficina de Turismo de San Javier
The municipality of San Javier has three main offices giving tourist information to visitors, as well as two information points. The tourist offices are located in Santiago de la Ribera, on the ground floor of the town hall in San Javier and at the start of La Manga. There is also a summer tourist information point located on the seafront in Santiago de la Ribera as well as one at kilometre 12-13 of La Manga del Mar Menor next to Playa Mistral.
Due to its location on the fringes of the Mar Menor and Mediterranean, San Javier has a period of intense summer tourism activity during the peak summer months, although it is popular with retirees of all nationalities out of peak season.
Tickets for the annual San Javier Jazz Festival can be purchased at the Festival office in San Javier Town Hall, Plaza de España.
Timetables summer 2024:
Tourist office Santiago de la Ribera (Calle Padre Juan 30720, Santiago de la Ribera)
Weekdays 9.00 to 14.00 and 18.00 to 21.00
Weekends and public holidays 10.00 to 13.00
Telephone: 661 572285
Email: turismo@sanjavier.es
La Manga del Mar Menor (Gran Vía Km. 0 30380, La Manga del Mar Menor):
May 1 to September 30:
Weekdays 10.00 to 14.00 and 17.00 to 19.00
Weekends and public holidays 10.30 to 13.00
Telephone 968 128955 ext. 2
Tourist information point of San Javier (Plaza de España, 30730 San Javier):
Weekdays 9.00 to 14.00
968 573 700 ext #5351
Email: concejaliadeturismo@sanjavier.es
Tourist information point of Santiago de la Ribera (Paseo Colón on the seafront)
Weekdays 9.00 to 14.00 and 18.00 to 21.00
Weekends and public holidays 10.00 to 13.00
Tourist information point of La Manga del Mar Menor (Playa Mistral, km 12)
Weekdays 11.00 to 18.00
Weekends and public holidays 11.00 to 14.00
