Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. In some ways, it is very much a case of legislation eventually trying to catch up with what is happening out there among the public. E-scooters and e-bikes will no longer be classified as mechanically propelled vehicles, but as powered personal transporters that do not require registration, tax, insurance or a specific licence, and can travel at speeds of up to 25 km/h, which is deeply concerning. I do not drive through my housing estate at more than 20 km/h, but I could be overtaken by somebody on an e-scooter wearing no protective gear.

I am also very concerned about the impact that this legislation could have on our greenways, particularly in the midlands, where significant time and effort went into writing the by-laws for them, and in such a way that they would be protective of pedestrians on these greenways. This Bill will be welcomed as a positive step forward by older and disabled members of my constituency, who have been very frightened in recent times by the sudden growth in the use of e-scooters. The first question they are going to ask will be: who will enforce this legislation?

The legislation on unsafe e-scooter habits needs to be updated. One day I saw a tradesman on an e-scooter, dressed and ready for work with his toolbag at his feet. That is absolutely unsafe. There is no excuse for that kind of behaviour nor should there be any excuse for the use of mobile phones when using an e-scooter. I use the word "unsafe" because I believe that e-scooters and e-bikes have a role to play, whether it is in reducing pollution or making it easier for people to get around. However, these vehicles should be used in a way that is responsible and safe.

One issue that I have with the legislation is that I believe that a huge opportunity has been missed. I refer, specifically, to the wrong-way tragedies on our motorways. We have seen repeatedly, although somewhat rarely, an increasing number of cars travelling the wrong way on motorways. Such incidents end in a loss of life or a very serious collision. In August 2021, a male driver drove down the M6 outside Ballinasloe in the wrong direction. The head-on crash with an oncoming vehicle resulted in the death of four people. That was a tragedy. Initial research undertaken by road safety initiatives, on behalf of Highways England, has shown that while incidents of this nature are quite rare, the consequences are severe. The research reports that the average killed or seriously injured ratio for collisions on motorways and principal roads is 15%, but for collisions that occur as a result of wrong-way driving, that ratio increases to 32%. A three-step process relating to site prioritisation, junction assessment and a selection of mitigation options has been developed and could be deployed here to ensure that these kind of tragedies do not become a more frequent feature on the front of our newspapers and in our media, and that no more people lose their lives as a result of wrong-way driving on a motorway.

See this speech in context