Regulations on the use of e-scooters will be introduced within weeks, Minister of State for Transport Jack Chambers has said, making them legal to use on Irish roads for the first time.
The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 which governs the use e-scooters was signed into law in June, but the popular electric powered scooters remain illegal on the road until the regulations are signed.
Mr Chambers said he was concerned by the increasing numbers for people killed and injured in collisions involving e-scooters.
“I have a concern we’ve seen an uptick in the number of people who have lost their lives this year from e-scooters and if there’s an extensive use of them, that presents risks to the people on east scooters but also other vulnerable road users.”
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He was speaking following the death of a man in Co Sligo who was struck by a van while travelling on an electric scooter.
The man, aged in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene after the incident Rusheen, Riverstown at about 8.10pm on Wednesday. The van driver, a man in his 30s, sustained minor injuries and was brought to Sligo University Hospital for treatment.
Anyone with information in relation to the incident, camera footage or who was in the area at the time is asked to contact Ballymote Garda station on (071) 918 9500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
The incident brings the total number of people killed on the State’s roads so far this year to 155, the same number recorded for all of 2022.
“My sympathies to the family of the person who lost their life,” Mr Chambers said. “We’ve had a very concerning and worrying trend which has persisted through this year. There was an uptick in road fatalities last year and we’ve seen the progress we’ve made over the last number of years has been reversed.”
The increasing popularity of scooters meant regulations were required to keep their users and other road users safe, he said. “We will see an increase in the use of e-scooters and we plan to commence the regulations on e-scooters in the next number of weeks.”
The regulations will limit maximum e-scooter speeds to 20km/h and ban their use use footpaths or motorways. Gardai will have their power to seize e-scooters not in compliance with the new regulations, Mr Chambers said.
“There’s a lot of shift and change in other European countries on how e-scooters are being used and that’s why we have to keep the guidance and regulations under constant review so we adapt their use according to road safety principles and a safe systems approach.”
