New legislation put forward to the Dáil earlier this year seeks to regulate and allow the use of e-scooters on Irish roads. Even though e-scooters have an electric motor and are capable of speeds of up to 25km/h (that’s the legal restriction – some models are actually capable of going much faster) they will be categorised as bicycles in the eyes of the law.
That’s potentially a very good thing – in theory, electric scooters are an ideal way of covering those “last mile” journeys from, say, a train station to the city centre or a bus stop to an office block. However, questions remain. Are they actually safe to use? And are they as environmentally friendly as they appear?
The safety issue seems clouded at best. According to a study in the UK, carried out by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, e-scooters could be as much as five times safer than a conventional bicycle. However, in Paris new legislation has been passed banning the use of e-scooter rental schemes, following concerns raised about both safety and issues of scooters being “dumped” on pavements after use. Paris actually held a referendum on the matter, in which 90 per cent of people voted to ban e-scooter rentals, although the process was criticised for a low turnout of voters.
In an Irish context, Blake Boland, head of communications for AA Ireland, told The Irish Times: “E-scooters could be an accessible, cheap and efficient alternative to the car. However, we are greatly concerned about irresponsible use and the potential for death and serious injuries. With no final legislation in place, abuse of this nascent technology is commonplace. Tragically, we have already seen loss of life by people on e-scooters.
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“Gardaí should have the ability to confiscate e-scooters when the rider is caught breaking the rules of the road or is using them irresponsibly.”
What about the environmental side of things? A 2019 study by North Carolina State University found that how e-scooters are built and charged and how they are collected and returned to their rental base can have an enormous impact. Equally, the study found that e-scooters might displace other, even more eco-friendly forms of travel.
“In our survey of e-scooter riders, 7 per cent of users reported that they would not have taken the trip otherwise; 49 per cent would have biked or walked; 34 per cent would have used a personal automobile or ride-share service; and 11 per cent would have taken a public bus,” the report stated.
E-scooters could – with people using them safely and with a close eye kept on their environmental impact – help to reduce transport emissions. But if you want to be truly climate friendly, just walk.
