Connect with us

News

What’s the law for operating e-scooters?

Published

on

0248527_JP_Healy_1000x600.jpg

By John Healy of Healy Insurances

The Transport Minister Mr Eamon Ryan is preparing to regulate the use of e-scooters in the coming months.

.

The current situation is problematic as under the 1961 Road Traffic Act, e-scooters would be classified as mechanically propelled vehicles. This would mean you would need insurance, road tax and a driving licence to use them in a public place.

This raises a number of challenges not least the fact there is currently no insurance market that is insuring e-scooters. So where does the minister go to next? Mr Ryan is believed to be looking at reclassifying the e-scooter devices as “powered personal transporters”. The users would be treated much as a cyclist, once the speed of the scooter is under 25kph.

If this legislation is passed users of e-scooters would not require insurance, road tax or a driving licence to operate the devices in a public place.

Clearly there is much work to be done on the legislation such as minimum age of users, speed of the device, rules around the use of helmets and lights and banning e-scooters from footpaths.

How safe are e-scooters?

According to the most recent Garda figures, there were 791 scooter related incidents last year of which 266 involved a collision. The majority of the incidents occurred in Dublin.

Paris was in the vanguard of major cities to roll out the use of e-scooters for hire and currently has a fleet of 15,000 available through three electric scooter operators. E-scooter accidents have increased in the city, there were 22 deaths last year up from seven in 2020. Parisians will now be invited to vote in a referendum on whether to allow electric scooter rental services to continue operating in the city. This referendum is planned for April 2 next.

Returning to our challenges in Ireland, will Eamon Ryan proceed with the new legislation? It would appear he has little choice, the numbers of e-scooters are rising and the current situation is a legal quagmire.

Advertisement

News

Bumper GAA weekend in town

Published

on

By

Killarney is set for a bumper GAA weekend as Kerry faces Cavan in a do-or-die All-Ireland Senior Football Championship preliminary quarter-final.

The game is scheduled for Saturday, June 21st, at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney, with a 3:30pm throw-in and traffic and parking restrictions will be in place on the bypass and on all approach roads.
Kerry will be looking to recover quickly from their recent defeat to Meath in their final round-robin match.
The match will be streamed live on GAA+. Radio Kerry will provide live commentary with Timmy Moynihan and Ambrose O’Donovan. Jerome Henry will officiate the match.
This game is one of four All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-finals. The other Munster county still in the championship, Cork, will play Dublin at Croke Park at 6:15pm on Saturday, with that game also broadcast on GAA+.

Attachments

Continue Reading

News

Killarney café to host free event in aid of local charity

A local cafe in Killarney is hosting an event to celebrate cherished sporting memories in Killarney. The event is taking place in Clann Housing, Coill na Darrach on June 28 […]

Published

on

A local cafe in Killarney is hosting an event to celebrate cherished sporting memories in Killarney.

The event is taking place in Clann Housing, Coill na Darrach on June 28 and it is part of the wider Alzheimer Society of Irelands sporting memories initiative.

There will be stories, photographs, and memorabilia shared on the day.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is organising a sporting memories initiative which aims to harness the power of sport to spark memories and create connections with people living with dementia.

John Don O’Donoghue, who is a joint organiser of the event, is emphasising the importance of events like these for those who suffer with dementia.

He said: “They offer people, especially older adults and those living with dementia, a meaningful way to reconnect – not just with their memories, but with each other. We’ve seen first-hand how powerful it can be when someone’s face lights up remembering a match, a goal, or a moment they thought was long forgotten.”

All members of the community are welcome to attend and take part. The event is free and guests are encouraged to bring their own photos, memorabilia and stories to share.

For more information, please contact: Triona Heffernan or John Don O’ Donoghue Email: soccermemoriescafe@gmail.com

Attachments

  • (665 kB)
Continue Reading

Last News

Sport