Madrid outlines new rules for revamped e-scooter scheme

Madrid City Council has selected three companies – Dott, Lime and TIER Mobility – to run its newly revamped e-scooter scheme.

The three firms were chosen after a competitive tender process, and each will be permitted to deploy 2,000 e-scooters over a three-year period.

In developing its new scheme, the council says it incorporated the experience of 17 cities, including Paris and London.

Borja Carabante, Madrid’s Councillor for the Environment and Mobility, said the new e-scooters will be launched from May 2023, and that the scheme will be “better organised, safer and integrated into the city’s different mobility platforms”.

E-scooters were first launched in Madrid in February 2019, with a maximum limit of 10,000. Licences were initially granted to 18 companies with permission to deploy a collective total of 8,610 vehicles throughout the municipality.

But over time several operators withdrew, leaving six scooter companies with 4,821 vehicles currently deployed across the city.

Tighter rules

If there is more demand than expected for the 6,000 e-scooters, the City Council can decide to increase the cap so that companies can roll out more vehicles, with an evaluation taking place every four months.

Similarly, the city can grant licence extensions when the current tender expires in 2026.

“The launch in Madrid marks a turning point for our service in Spain, and a major increase in the number of vehicles we operate there as we bring efficient, safe and environmentally friendly transport to the capital city,” said Maxim Romain, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Dott.

“We will bring our experience of collaborating closely with city authorities across Europe to ensure that we offer a reliable service for our riders whilst respecting all other road users and pedestrians.”

Manuel Arauco, General Manager Spain, TIER Mobility, said: “We are very pleased to have been selected to deploy our shared e-scooter service in the city of Madrid, and I want to take this opportunity to highlight the commitment of the City Council to improve urban mobility in the city. We’re proud that the city trusts us to help to create a more sustainable and safe environment.

“Our local team is dedicated to continuously improving and innovating to help Madrid to reduce its dependence on cars and make the transport networks safe and more environmentally friendly. Our goal is to make Madrid a reference city in micromobility, both in Spain and Europe.”

Parking

All e-scooters operating in the revamped scheme will be new and will have technology that aims to ensure a safer, more orderly shared micromobility model integrated into the city’s mobility ecosystem.

The city will allocate specific parking spaces for scooters in the city centre, and onboard GPS technology will prevent users ending their trip if they haven’t parked properly.

Outside of the city centre, riders can park their scooters in a moped, bike or scooter parking space – but if they are more than 50 metres away from a dedicated space, they will be able to park on the street.

According to the City Council, there has already been some improvements when it comes to fines due to improper parking.

The three operators have committed to removing incorrectly parked scooters within one hour, and may also require a photo of the parked e-scooter to ensure they meet the standards set by the city.

Image: Madrid City Council