• For safety reasons, the public authorities that are responsible for public transport operators have temporarily amended the general terms and conditions of use of their services to include the above ban
   
• During this restricted period a proposal will be drawn up to regulate the use of public transport by electric scooters and other personal mobility vehicles

Barcelona, 31 January 2023.- From this Wednesday, 1 February 2023, the six-month temporary ban on the access of electric scooters and unicycles to public transport comes into force, a decision taken by a resolution of the Board of Management of the Autoritat del Transport Metropolità - Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM) in its meeting of 19 December 2022 as a result of the explosion of an electric scooter in a rail coach of the Government of Catalonia Railways (FGC) on 17 November last year. Following the incident, the ATM urged the relevant authorities responsible for the services and the public transport operators to change the general terms and conditions of use of their services so as to include this temporary measure.

Hence, the restriction applies to all public transport accountable to the Government of Catalonia (Suburban rail, FGC, interurban buses), the AMB (Metro and Metropolitan Bus) and the TRAM. It applies to both day and night services. Likewise, the ban is also being adopted by the ATM of Tarragona, the ATM of Lleida and the ATM of Girona.

The measure, however, is limited to regular public transport services only and it does not affect school transport services or discretionary services. As for the operators that are run by Town and City Councils, it will be the councils themselves that will decide whether to adopt the measure as the relevant authorities of the service.

You are reminded that the ban applies exclusively to electric scooters and unicycles; access to public transport is still permitted for electric bicycles and other personal mobility vehicles (PMVs). As for scooters that can reach speeds of more than 25 km/h, they are not considered PMVs [personal mobility vehicles] but mopeds, which is why their access to public transport was already prohibited before the ban.

Preventive and temporary security measure

This decision will prioritise the principle of preventive safety governing operators with regard to the protection of users, the staff working in the public transport services and their facilities.

Among the main risks detected that led to the adoption of the measure are: explosion and flammability, due to battery overload or defect or caused by impacts or contact with water, since the batteries of scooters and unicycles are more exposed due to their particularly unprotected position, under the deck and at ground level . The batteries in these two electric vehicles are also considered vulnerable to manipulation or tampering with the original product.

Moreover, the high toxicity of the fumes produced in such fires - and more so in closed spaces, densely occupied and in a moving vehicle - as well as the rapid spread of flames and the difficulty of extinguishing these types of fires, increase the severity of the risk.

Accordingly, until such time as a conclusion is reached regarding what conditions, if any, can guarantee the safety of these personal mobility vehicles, they will not be allowed to access public transport.

Announcements and information for users

Starting tomorrow, Wednesday 1st February the public transport operators and the administrations responsible for their services will provide information on the temporary ban on entering their facilities and vehicles with electric scooters and unicycles (including ones that are folded up).

The graphic support for the information will be the following sign:

Regulation currently under preparation

During this six-month period a proposal will be drawn up to regulate the access and safety of electric scooters and other personal mobility vehicles to minimise the risks of causing situations such as an explosion or fire. This work will be conducted on a consensual basis by an expert panel, with the collaboration of the various stakeholders involved in the safety of the transport system: operators, relevant authorities, firefighters, manufacturers, technicians and also the associations that bring together the users of these electric vehicles.

Inter-modal parking facilities

For users who choose to park their vehicle near public transport access points, the presence of parking spaces is guaranteed in the vast majority of stations, also equipped for electric scooters. In those where a lack of places has been detected, there is a joint commitment with the relevant authorities, operators and town and city councils to provide them in the short term, in the form of Biciboxes, Bicitancats or "inverted U” iron hoops anchored to the ground.

In this regard, the provision of parking spaces for scooters will be encouraged at railway stations and bus interchanges during this period. From tomorrow, Wednesday, 1 February, the AMB [Barcelona Metropolitan Area], in response to the ATM's call, will allow electric scooters and other personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) to be safely parked in Bicibox modules, the metropolitan secure bicycle parking service

To register for Biciboxes you must go to the service's website (https://www.bicibox.cat/ca-es/Bicibox). In the case of FGC Bicitancats, you must register through the operator's website.

As for the car parks located beyond the validation machines, their use will not be permitted for scooters and unicycles, since the ban in this transitional period applies to the entire space starting from the ticket barrier.

In this work to boost parking spaces, particular work has been done to find specific solutions in peripheral areas where business and industrial parks are located, such as the Zona Franca (Free Trade Zone) in Barcelona.

Official penalties

Reports drawn up by the security teams of the public transport operators for breaches of the ban on transporting electric scooters and unicycles in vehicles and at facilities beyond the ticket barrier will result in a €200 fine.

However, there will be a window of opportunity during the first few days in which information will be prioritised over penalties. In any case and from the first moment, any user who has entered public transport with a scooter will be instructed to leave it at the next stop or station.

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