Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Minister may have just answered it but for clarity, when I looked at this it seemed that it omits the potential for cargo bikes. There has been a huge uptake of such bikes in Dublin. Dublin City Council has led a very positive initiative around last-mile delivery and there are hubs all over the city. We will probably see that in every city and large town in Ireland in time as it becomes easier to travel in our urban areas by smaller vehicles. We can expect tradespeople to travel by cargo bike as well as families. There is evidence that families are getting rid of their second cars and getting a cargo bike in lieu. I would be concerned that this section is restrictive on cargo bikes and especially the line about reducing down from 55 kg to 25 kg. We must be careful when we discuss the power outputs of cargo bikes. I suggest that 0.5 KW is a lot of power for a light bike but may not be for a heavy bike, so we need to be very careful about how we word this. Maybe the Minister can allay the fears but if there is something to be worked on, I would like to come back on Report Stage with a proposal.