Renfe joins the measure adopted by some European and Spanish cities such as Madrid that deny the boarding of electric scooters on their transport due to the dire consequences they entail. This was decided by the company's Board of Directors at its meeting this Monday. The rule, which will come into force next Monday, December 12, prohibits the access of electric scooters on all Renfe Viajeros trains, both Cercanías and Regional as well as High Speed and Long Distance (AVE, Avlo, Alvia, Avant, Euromed and Intercity).
According to the note sent to the media on Monday afternoon, the imposition is based on the dangerous situation generated by battery fires that have occurred in some public transport. These incidents are usually caused by manipulation of the battery, damage caused by impacts, the passage of time or the use of different chargers, among other reasons.
Only vehicles for people with reduced mobility and electric bicycles are exempt from the ban, so the rule includes any unicycle or device equipped with batteries for its operation, the document continues to explain.
The measure, which will be endorsed this Tuesday by the Board of Directors of Renfe Viajeros, "has been adopted based on public health and traveler safety criteria," the company says.
Once the measure comes into force, Renfe may force a traveler to leave the train if they are carrying an object, luggage or vehicle that represents a risk to the safety and proper functioning of the transport operation, or to the safety of passengers. other travelers. Even at Cercanías stations managed by Renfe, the ban will be reported if a traveler with an electric scooter is detected, and random inspections may also be carried out with inspectors and security agents.
The announced measure is similar to others taken in different cities in Spain and Europe. Seville, for example, was the first city that in 2021 prevented travelers from entering the Metro with their electric scooters during rush hour on weekdays.
Last February, it was Catalonia's turn to prohibit both access to vehicles and to the public transport infrastructure (stations, platforms...) after the explosion of a scooter in the Generalitat de Catalunya Railway service. Catalonia (FGC) in November 2022.
Likewise, since last November 4, the access of electric scooters to public transport facilities and vehicles in the Community of Madrid has also been prohibited, the management of which is the responsibility of the Regional Transport Consortium.
At the European level, some railway operators in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as the London or Hamburg Metro, have also prohibited the access of electric scooters to their trains.
