Deputy Paul Murphy says a ban on e-scooters for under 18s is not the right answer to the safety issues. Says e-scooters are a popular, affordable and environmentally sustainable form of transport. Calls for enforcement of the ban on sales to under 16s and for stronger controls on maximum design speeds.
Paul Murphy said:
“There is understandable concern about injuries arising from the use of e-scooters, particularly to children. We need to ensure that all modes of transport are as safe as possible. However, I do not think that an outright ban on e-scooters for under 18s is the answer to the current safety problem.
“It is estimated that one in every 25 adults travels by e-scooter at least once a month. It is an affordable and environmentally sustainable mode of transport that we should not rush to ban. 17 year olds are legally able to drive a car, and yet the government is now saying that they will not be able to ride an e-scooter.
“It is already illegal for under 16s to use e-scooters, but despite this, marketing and sales of e-scooters to under 16s is common. They are not appropriate or safe for children and the government should move swiftly to outlaw marketing and sales of e-scooters to under 16s.
“It has been reported that Amazon and AliExpress have recently withdrawn from sale e-scooters that were not in accordance with Irish maximum design speed laws. Why were these companies selling products that it seems they knew were illegal? Where was the enforcement to ensure this couldn’t happen? The government should ensure that no e-scooters are on sale here that exceed the legal maximum of 20 kilometers per hour, and the state should come down hard on any company that breaks this law.
“A further significant problem is that, for some e-scooter models, it is relatively easy to circumvent maximum design speeds. But up to the middle of last year, it was reported by the Minister for Justice that there had not been a single prosecution for illegal modification of e-scooters. The regulations should be tightened to ensure that e-scooters sold in Ireland cannot be modified to allow speeds in excess of the legal limit of 20 kilometers per hour.
“Restrictions on sale of e-scooters to children and strict enforcement of maximum speed laws can make e-scooters an important mode of transport that is safe as well as affordable and environmentally friendly.”