Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government has committed my department to legislating for the use of electric scooters, or e-scooters. The use of e-scooters is not currently permitted on public roads.

The Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021, which is currently before the Seanad, addresses this issue by creating a new class of vehicle in the Road Traffic Act 1961, powered personal transporters. This vehicle class will encompass light electric vehicles like e-scooters. The Bill does not legalise the use of e-scooters but allows for rules for the safe use of e-scooters and technical standards to be made in regulations.

It is anticipated that the Bill will be enacted in quarter two of this year and draft regulations for the use of e-scooters are being prepared by my department. My officials have recently established a working group, which is meeting regularly to ensure all key agencies are working together in preparation for the coming into effect of these regulations. The regulations will address matters such as technical standards for lighting and other equipment such as braking and audible warning systems, conditions for their safe use, prohibition of their use on footpaths or on certain roads, suitable speed limits and penalties for their misuse, after the necessary enabling powers have been provided by the Bill. Until the new regulations are in place, the use of e-scooters will remain illegal and An Garda Síochána may seize them.

New draft technical regulations are subject to mandatory examination by the European Commission for a minimum of 12 weeks, under the Single Market Transparency Directive (EU) 2015/1535. It is expected that the draft e-scooter regulations will be submitted to this process on enactment of the Bill and that they will be introduced on completion of that scrutiny.