According to sources from the City Council, three squatters were apprehended after the intervention of officers from the Sant Vicent del Raspeig (Alicante) Local Police and the Guardia Civil prevented them from invading a residence.

On Saturday March 15th, the Benemérita requested the municipal security force’s intervention in response to an alleged attempt by multiple suspects to occupy the property.

The main post had been previously contacted to report an additional purported illegal entry on Velázquez Street.

The Guardia Civil assisted the local police officers in the arrest after they made several arrangements with the householder. The police arrived immediately. The suspects were transported to the headquarters of the State Security Forces.

A Benidorm resident has been fined €3,400 for allegedly dismantling and removing barriers installed by the local police to impede traffic on a road leading to an area known as La Cruz up to 25 times. The resident claims that the barriers were obstructing his way to the local coves to surf. The officers identified the 60-year-old resident of Rincón de Loix in Benidorm, who is believed to have been the perpetrator of the damage to the public furniture. The individual is of Eastern European origin.

Yesterday, Thursday 20th March, Quique Tortosa, the spokesman for the Benidorm Local Police, said that officers had been observing the disappearance of these traffic control beacons from their designated locations and their subsequent hurling down an embankment for approximately four to five months. The Local Police deployed a device to identify and locate the individual who was committing these acts of vandalism, and they also requested assistance from the neighbours, as these items were damaged up to 25 times.

The alleged perpetrator of these incidents has been apprehended by local police. According to the same source, he was “bothered by the fences because he would drive his car and surfboards to the coves in that area in the afternoons.” The Local Police will impose penalties of 3,400 euros on the driver for two violations of the General Traffic Regulations, as has been reported.

The proposed ordinance that governs the operation of bicycles and scooters has been authorised by the Governing Board. In order to provide users with an opportunity to comprehend their responsibilities as drivers of these personal mobility vehicles, the regulations will not be implemented until January 1st, 2026.

Pablo Ruz, the mayor of Elche, has declared that the minimum age for operating scooters has been reduced from 16 to 14 years of age in order to enhance the mobility of students. Additionally, scooter riders will be prohibited from operating on sidewalks, regardless of whether they are assigned a designated cycle lane, or on pedestrian streets. It is mandatory for them to possess civil liability insurance issued by insurance companies and ride on roads or cycle paths while wearing a helmet. It is also possible to be prohibited from operating a scooter with more than one person. Similarly, electric scooters are permitted to operate on the hard shoulder of intercity roads, provided that they are equipped with lighting and a helmet. Nevertheless, motorcycles that are not motorised are prohibited from operating on public roads.

Helmets will not be mandatory for bicycles, with the exception of minors under the age of fourteen. They are permitted to travel at a maximum speed of ten kilometres per hour on single-track platforms, such as the Corredora, and on wide streets. Additionally, headphones will be prohibited for cyclists.

Despite the mayor’s assurance that this regulation is not intended to impose penalties, fines of 75 euros have been established for less serious cases. Serious cases, such as not wearing a helmet, being under the minimum age, not having insurance, or riding on the sidewalk, are subject to a fine of 200 euros. Very serious cases, such as drunk driving, are subject to a fine of 500 euros. Pablo Ruz underscored that the objective of this regulation is to regulate the operation of bicycles and motorcycles in order to guarantee public safety. Ruz clarified that hospitals have reported an increase in the number of scooter-related accidents in recent months.