June 3, 2024
The Government has approved a bill that will require electric scooters and other personal mobility vehicles, now called “light personal vehicles,” to have mandatory liability insurance. This new category applies to motor vehicles that can reach a maximum speed of between 6 and 25 km/h if their weight is less than 25 kg, or between 6 and 14 km/h if their weight is over 25 kg. Additionally, the bill stipulates the creation of a public registry of these vehicles before January 2, 2026.
“The goal here is to balance the promotion of sustainable urban transportation with the protection of victims of accidents caused by these new vehicles,” explains the Moncloa website.
The bill also establishes a clearer and broader definition of motor vehicles, extending the insurance requirement to agricultural and industrial vehicles, which were previously exempt. Owners of these vehicles will have a six-month period to purchase insurance once the law is published.
The new regulation amends two laws: one on civil liability and insurance in the circulation of motor vehicles, and another on the organization, supervision, and solvency of insurance and reinsurance companies. The objective is to improve coverage, compensations, and victims’ safety in case of insolvency by insurance companies. These modifications are designed to streamline the assessment process for compensations, opting for out-of-court dispute resolution alternatives, providing medical reports and police reports free of charge, and establishing shorter deadlines for medical evaluation and report issuance.
Once approved by the Council of Ministers, this bill will be sent to the Congress of Deputies for parliamentary processing.
via: MiMub in Spanish