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Date Published: 28/11/2023

Renfe bans electric scooters from all its trains in Spain

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The blanket ban comes after yet another scooter caught fire on the Madrid Metro

Renfe bans electric scooters from all its trains in Spain

From next month, Spain’s state rail operator Renfe will ban electric scooters from all of its regional and national trains. The decision, which will come into force on December 12, has been taken after several fires on public transport caused by malfunctioning batteries.

The measure not only affects electric scooters, but also unicycles or any other electric or battery-powered personal mobility device, with the exception of vehicles for people with reduced mobility and electric bicycles.

This nationwide ban follows similar measures adopted by regional governments over the past couple of years. Sevilla was the first city in Spain to regulate electric scooters, prohibiting the vehicles on the Metro during rush hour and weekdays in 2021. Last February, Catalonia decided to ban electric scooters from public transport after one exploded on a train in November 2022.

Likewise, since November 4, scooters aren’t allowed on public buses or trains in Madrid.

The dangers associated with electric scooters, usually caused by owners tinkering with the battery, using the wrong charger or degradation over time, are gradually being realised not just in Spain but all across Europe.

Several railway operators in the UK and Ireland have already stopped passengers carrying personal mobility vehicles on board, and the London and Hamburg Metros have issued a blanket ban on their trains.

Once the measure comes into force next month, Renfe will ask travellers to leave their trains if they are carrying any object they believe represents a risk to public safety. The railway operator has indicated that random inspections of its trains will be carried our periodically but it’s not yet clear if fines will be doled out to rule breakers.

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Image: Metro de Madrid

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