Able-bodied people are being blamed for hiring and misusing mobility scooters leading to one of the leading hotel chains in Benidorm, Spain, to ban the scooters that are essential mobility aids for people with one or more of a whole range of disabilities.

As I live with multiple sclerosis and use a powered wheelchair, you will understand that this caught my attention.

According to Benidorm All Year Round website, “there is a local bylaw which forbids rental companies from hiring them out to under 55s with no disabilities, they are obviously flouting this.”

Xavier Gil is Operations Director of Servigroup which has nine hotels in the area. He said: “We have nothing against people with disabilities and all our hotels are adapted to accommodate people who are less mobile. All public areas are accessible, with ramps leading to the bars, restaurants and pool areas in addition to specially adapted rooms for disabled guests.”

Wheelchairs are still allowed for guests that have mobility issues but those chairs must be stored in their own rooms.

Mr Gil added: “The situation with regards to mobility scooters has got totally out of hand and we have had to take action following numerous complaints from other guests – primarily for safety reasons.

“The sheer volume of scooters left in the lobby and reception areas are causing serious problems for both staff and guests, with anywhere in the region of 25 scooters obstructing passageways and exits. There have been countless accidents, with glass panes broken and furniture frequently damaged – and they are running out of room.”

Some tourists with mobility problems genuinely rely on the scooters and feel outraged by what they feel is discrimination by the hotel group. Others agree that there is a problem that needs to be addressed, not just in hotels but in Benidorm itself, one such person said: “This is about the able-bodied hiring scooters when they shouldn’t be using them.”

When asked if other hotels are likely to follow Servigroup’s lead, Antonio Mayor, President of HOSBEC – the local Hoteliers Association that represents 88% of the hotels in Benidorm – said: “No, I don’t think so. We will open our hands out to those guests as it is a necessity for many.”

Interestingly, Servigroup is not a member of the association.

The streets of Benidorm are similarly affected. A Benidorm All Year Round report says: “Only this weekend I saw so many young able-bodied joyriding on them. I can testify that there was nothing wrong with one pair of lads, as I saw them jumping off and on a double scooter.

“But it is not just the young, the over 55s are just as guilty. I have had to walk onto the road many a time to pass as they have been parked up outside bars and cafes, clogging up the pavements.”

I wonder if Benidorm is the only holiday resort that has an issue with the use and abuse of mobility scooters. Do you know of any others?