New e-scooter rules punish responsible users, commuter group says

New e-scooter rules requiring helmets and high-visibility clothing took effect in Ireland on Friday, but a commuter group says the measures penalize people who already use scooters responsibly.

Jason Cullen, chair of the Dublin Commuter Coalition, said the regulations would create “another barrier to entry” for compliant users. The group is calling instead for better enforcement. Cullen said authorities had increased Garda resources since the measures were announced and were seizing more than 40 illegally used e-scooters a day around Dublin.

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Its major impact is going to be that compliant e-scooter users will now have another barrier to entry.

The new requirements followed calls from medics at CHI Temple Street for an outright ban after six children ended up on life support there with e-scooter injuries during a two-week period this summer. Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien hopes to introduce a ban for people under 18 by the end of September or early October, after the European Union waived a waiting period normally required for the change.

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We certainly welcome users wearing helmets and high-vis but we also really want users to be responsible road users.

Dr Shane Broderick, a consultant in emergency medicine and trauma at Mater Hospital, welcomed helmet and high-visibility rules but said users must also follow speed limits, avoid modifying scooters and not carry passengers. He said Gardaí need the power to enforce the rules, issue fines and impound scooters where necessary.

The Department of Transport said registration, insurance and driving-licence requirements remain under consideration. The government has not ruled out a total ban, while a Department of Health report on the public-health implications of e-scooters is also expected to inform policy.

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It remains to be seen whether it will make a real, tangible difference in terms of the trauma presentation that we see as a result of these scooter accidents and injuries, which we're seeing on a daily basis.