Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I do want to encourage the use of cargo bikes and tricycles but I am afraid I cannot accept the amendments because I do not think they are necessary. In fact, they could confuse matters, which I am sure we would not want to see happen.

At the points where Senator Higgins is proposing to add reference to a cargo bicycle or tricycle to the Bill, we are amending the definitions of pedal cycle and pedal tricycle in road traffic legislation to provide clarity about electric bicycles and tricycles. Specifically, what we are doing is setting criteria according to which electric but low-powered bicycles and tricycles will be treated like normal bikes and tricycles. As the law stands, there is no such concept as a cargo bike. What we call cargo bikes in everyday language are bicycles in law, plain and simple, and cargo tricycles are just tricycles. That is why the amendments proposed are, in my mind, not necessary.

This leads to the risk of confusion. If "bicycle" already includes a cargo bicycle, which it does, then speaking about a bicycle or cargo bicycle, as the Senator proposes, implies that they are two different things. The Senator has not proposed a definition of a cargo bicycle or tricycle, and we do not really need one. They are already regarded in law as being bicycles or tricycles. If we were to amend the definition of a pedal cycle to cover a bicycle or cargo bicycle as proposed, there is a risk that other parts of the law which refer to a bicycle would then cease to apply to cargo bicycles because they would be something different.As the Senator says, and we agree, there is a place for cargo bicycles and tricycles in our transport mix and we want to see that increase. However, that place is by treating them, as we do now, as being bicycles or tricycles. There is no need to add them here and it would create the risk of unintended consequences. Therefore, I cannot agree to the amendments.