Tullamore councillor welcomes new laws to control electric scooters

Tullamore councillor Sean O'Brien has welcomed new laws and Garda equipment which he said will help to control the use of electric scooters.

"I strongly welcome the new laws and Garda equipment which will control the use of electric scooters and make them safer for their owners and the general public," said Cllr O'Brien.

"There has been a big increase in the ownership of e-scooters and this is likely to increase. Many people have complained to me about the dangers, especially the speed and owners using them on footpaths."

The Independent councillor stated that, under the new laws, an e-scooter cannot have the capacity to exceed 20 kilometers per hour.

"Gardai have the power to stop users and test their scooter on a special dynamometer machine to detect the power and if this exceeds 20 kilometres per hour then it can be confiscated.

"It is now illegal to use them on footpaths, to carry a passenger or goods, to be using a mobile phone, for which there are fixed charge notices for any of those offences with a fine of €50."

Cllr O'Brien called on the Gardai to purchase more of the dynamometer machines enabling them to carry out further inspections.

"I am also calling on the Gardai to focus on detecting e-scooter users locally who I see constantly breaking the law. A pedestrian could be seriously injured or killed if they are in collision with these scooters.

"I would encourage pedestrians to challenge the users of e-scooters if they see them on footpaths, as this is illegal," he concluded.