Ireland to see rollout of e-scooter regulations following Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023
By Lucy Murray
E-scooter company, Riley Scooters, welcome upcoming safety regulations on the use of e-scooters in Ireland.
Following the signing of the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 earlier this year in June, the regulations will address safety concerns surrounding the usage of e-scooters.
Minister of State with Responsibility for Road Safety Jack Chambers told Newstalk Breakfast: “From the data so far this year, we’ve had 48 people seriously injured on e-scooters.”
Speaking on the specifics of the regulations, he shared: “We will have a cap of 20km/h for each e-scooter. There’ll be a maximum weight for it as well.”
“Safety is paramount”
The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 established a new class of vehicles categorised as Personal Powered Transporters (PPTs). The upcoming regulations seek to classify e-scooters under this name and define the power and speed limit requirements.
This comes as welcome news for Peter Murray at Riley Scooters, who is looking to break into the Irish market.
“The latest update from the Government is great to see for the development of personal electric transport in Ireland,” Peter noted.
“Of course, safety is paramount. The introduction of regulations will be positive for all road users. This news is a great way to show that electric scooters can be a great, cost-effective, and fun way to get around.”
“Absence of a common EU position”
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport told Galway Pulse, “The Department of Transport’s priority, in introducing this new form of road transport under the Programme for Government, is the safety of all road users, including e-scooter users.”
“In the absence of a common EU position on the regulation of e-scooters, comprehensive public and stakeholder consultations were undertaken to inform the drafting of Irish regulatory requirements, including consultations with the Road Safety Authority, the National Transport Authority, An Garda Síochána, local government and a range of industry, advocacy and accessibility groups.”
Currently, EU legislation for e-scooter usage varies from country to country. The rollout of these regulations will provide a framework for the legal barriers to e-scooters and clarify Ireland’s position.
