Barcelona launches information campaign on helmet mandate for scooters

The Barcelona City Council has started a two-month information campaign to raise awareness of upcoming traffic ordinance changes.

The biggest update is the mandatory use of helmets for scooters and other personal mobility vehicles (PMVs), beginning on February 1.

Additionally, bicycles and scooters will generally be prohibited from using paths, except in some specific cases.

Twenty council agents sharing information will be stationed at key mobility hotspots across the city to explain the new rules over the coming weeks. The campaign kicked off at the intersection of Avinguda Diagonal and Carrer Sardenya, a busy hub for bike lanes.

Informational teams will replicate this effort citywide, targeting locations with high bike traffic, pedestrian activity, and areas near schools and hospitals.

They will also visit stores selling and repairing bicycles and scooters to ensure awareness.

Adrià Gomila, Barcelona's Director of Mobility Services, stated that while the campaign runs until late February, enforcement of the new rules will begin on February 1, with fines ranging from €50 to €500 depending on the severity of the infraction.

Key regulation updates

The new regulation, approved in November, mandates helmets for personal mobility vehicle users and limits these vehicles to one single rider.

PMVs must also be equipped with front and rear lights.

Current regulations already prohibit the use of these vehicles by minors under 16 and limit them to bike lanes and streets with a maximum speed of 30 km/h. The new amendment defines that they can only go at 25 km/h, a limit that drops to 10 km/h on bike lanes on the sidewalk.

Failure to wear a helmet, the use of a PMV by more than one person, and failure to carry front and rear lights will be fined €100.

Minors under 16 who ride a PMV will be fined €200.

Motorcycle parking restrictions

The new rules also limit motorcycle parking on sidewalks near schools, hospitals, bike racks, pedestrian crossings, and bike lanes.

Violations, such as tying vehicles to trees, traffic lights, benches, or other urban fixtures in ways that obstruct pedestrian flow, will also result in €500 fines.