Riders of electronic scooters will be required to wear helmets in Barcelona under a new law which comes into effect on Saturday in Spain’s second-largest city.

E-scooter usage has surged in Spain in recent years but the boom has been accompanied by a rise in accidents and complaints from drivers and pedestrians about riders flouting safety and parking rules which have led to restrictions on their use.

Riders of e-scooters who do not wear a helmet will be fined €100.

To protect pedestrians, e-scooters will no longer be allowed on pavements. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to €500.

Bicycles are also banned from sidewalks, except for cyclists accompanied by minors.

The use of e-scooters for those under the age of 16 was already banned by Barcelona, which imposed a 25-kilometre per hour speed limit on them.

Bicycles are also banned from sidewalks, except for cyclists accompanied by minors

Barcelona had already required operators of rental e-scooters, following other cities such as Paris and Madrid.

Users of electric scooters who circulate in Barcelona will be required to wear a helmet from February 1, when a new municipal ordinance comes into force that includes more rules for the use of these vehicles.

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