E-scooter legislation plan prompts warning from industry

Proposed legislation covering e-scooters in Ireland could potentially impact safety, industry experts have said, with weight limits set out in the Bill likely to lead to the exclusion of many features introduced to make the machines more stable and safer to ride.

The move could also prevent shared e-scooter services from launching in Ireland, industry insiders have warned, with the weight limit in the Road Traffic and Roads Bill making it difficult to operate legally with the newer shared vehicles.

Shared e-scooters are typically heavier than consumer versions due to larger batteries and more durable materials used in the frames to discourage vandalism, ensure longevity and make them harder to steal. They can also have larger wheels to make it safer and more comfortable to ride, and contain additional systems for geolocation to control where the vehicles are parked and systems to detect footpath usage.

[ Free Now Ireland partners with Zipp Mobility for eScooter and eBike hire ]

In the original draft of the legislation, the weight limit was set at 55kg for an unladen scooter, which would cover most of the shared e-scooter schemes. The current draft of the legislation brought that weight limit down to 25kg, which operators say would make it difficult, if not impossible, for them to operate in the Irish market.

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It is also far lighter than the standard weight limits set in other European countries, which range from 50kg in Spain to 200kg in Switzerland.

In a letter seen by The Irish Times and signed by Voi, Lime, Zipp Mobility, Dott, Tier and Superpedestrian, operators said the “highly restrictive” limit would require the use of lighter, older-model scooters, which can have higher rates of injury.

“Critical safety developments, including wheel size, frame design and material, have added additional weight to shared e-scooters,” the letter said. “A 25kg unladen weight limit would require the deployment of earlier models of shared e-scooter, which more closely resemble private e-scooter hardware and have been proven to deliver worse safety outcomes, including higher rates of injury.”

[ Safety regulations on use of e-scooters could be in place by end of year – Taoiseach ]

Operators also warned it would hit innovation, with additional safety features such as camera vision technology and acoustic vehicle-alerting systems also increasing the weight of the scooter.

They have called on the Government to include a separate weight limit of 55kg that would be specific to shared e-scooters.

The Department of Transport did not provide a comment on the claims.