The council of Orihuela Costa has awarded a four-year contract for electric scooter hire to MGC Clean Energy, in a deal worth €164,800. The contract includes an annual fee of €41,200 payable to the council and has been awarded after a tender process that has taken more than ten months because of a previously reckless bid. The successful bidder has included user identification via a mobile application and will meet the local administration in the coming days to organise the service.
The scheme has been framed as a way to improve urban mobility across the coastal area, where long distances separate residential areas from beaches and shopping centres. The tender requires a fleet age policy — twenty per cent of vehicles may be up to three years old while the remaining eighty per cent must be newly acquired — and sets a standard of 750 scooters distributed across 120 parking bays, expandable to 1,200 if justified. Seasonal minimums are specified: a base of 300 units in low season, 450 in mid season and 750 in high season.
The operator will be responsible for day-to-day enforcement of parking rules, collecting incorrectly parked scooters and ensuring they do not obstruct pedestrians, street furniture or building access. The company must hold a comprehensive insurance policy with minimum cover of €500,000 for users and third parties, comply with maintenance and nightly recharging requirements, and will face penalties for breaches of circulation and parking regulations.