Valencia, Spain has launched a dedicated police unit tasked with patrolling the city’s streets on electric scooters, a move aimed at improving safety and regulating the increasing employ of the vehicles. The ‘Cycling Road Inspection and Surveillance Group’ began operations on Monday, February 23, 2026, with twelve officers assigned to the unit.
The officers will utilize electric scooters for their patrols, allowing them to navigate bike lanes and pedestrian areas more effectively, according to Mayor María José Catalá. “We are convinced that it’ll be a great success. We are introducing a unit that possibly only exists in Valencia and that will set a benchmark,” Catalá stated at the unit’s launch. “There are already city councils throughout Spain that have asked us about it and want to know how this unit works.”
The initiative responds to growing concerns about e-scooter safety, particularly from older residents, and aims to protect pedestrian zones and ensure compliance with regulations. Valencia boasts 200 kilometers of bike lanes, and the city is committed to supporting personal mobility vehicles, but officials emphasize the need to balance growth with safety, according to Catalá. “The city has not stopped growing given that we’re committed to a city that runs on personal mobility vehicles, but we have always said that we cannot grow without taking safety and pedestrians into account,” she said.
Jesús Carbonell, the Valencian city councillor for Mobility and Local Police, expressed confidence in the unit’s reception, predicting it would become “the most beloved police unit.”
The unit will focus its patrols on areas with the highest accident rates on cycle paths. Officers will conduct speed checks, administer alcohol and drug tests, and inspect scooters for illegal modifications, such as alterations to increase speed. They will also analyze problem areas on bike lanes, collecting data to identify and address safety hazards, and assess the physical condition of the routes themselves.
The launch of the Valencia unit coincides with new national regulations regarding e-scooter use. As of the end of January 2026, Spain’s General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) requires all personal mobility vehicles, including e-scooters, to carry civil liability insurance.
