Government leaders to decide what regulations to introduce on the use of e-scooters

GOVERNMENT LEADERS ARE to meet next week to consider what regulations to impose on the use of e-scooters. 

The Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister of State Sean Canney and Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien will meet to consider a number of proposals, including requiring owners to register, insure and tax the vehicles. 

The meeting comes after Micheal Martin said on Tuesday that he is “leaning towards” imposing a complete ban on e-scooters.

He was responding to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald who asked Martin what the government would do to address the “scourge” of e-scooters and scrambler motorbikes.

People are “sick to the back teeth of gangs of people” on scramblers and e-scooters in Dublin city centre and elsewhere around the country, she said. 

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He noted that scramblers are already banned on public roads and said Canney was “looking at all options in terms of e-scooters”, which could include regulation or an outright ban, “which I’m leaning towards myself”.

“People are fed up with it and people have had enough of this,” Martin said.

Aside from registration, tax and insurance requirements, government leaders will also discuss mandating personal protective equipment (PPE) for e-scooter and e-bike users.

The Taoiseach has said O’Brien is working on legislation “to ensure gardaí are protected” when pursuing people on such vehicles.

This is an issue that was raised by Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly, who told an Oireachtas committee on Tuesday that there are currently 10 gardaí before the courts for alleged dangerous driving or careless driving incidents which happened during the course of their duty.

“It certainly has a chilling effect on the rest of the organisation,” he said.