The Government is “seriously considering” a ban on e-scooters, following a number of serious accidents. 

Children under the age of 16 are already banned from using the devices; however, enforcement has proven difficult and, over one fortnight period this summer, there were six on life support in Dublin’s Temple Street Hospital. 

A full report is being prepared for the Department of Health by Children’s Health Ireland and Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he is leaning towards" a full ban on e-scooters.

On The Claire Byrne Show, Junior Transport Minister Seán Canney said he is “looking at all options”. 

“We've seen what happens with the e-scooters,” he explained. 

“We're looking at… the devastation that's caused when somebody has an accident with them and a collision. 

“When you hear CHI telling us that there are children on life support in hospital as a result of accidents, it's important that we look at this and we look at it very, very carefully.”

The Galway East TD acknowledged that many members of the public feel e-scooters are unsafe and that the Department of Transport will consider “what’s workable”. 

“We have a situation where you can see it in the cities and you can see it in the towns where you have people on e-scooters using the footpaths, using the roads, causing maybe anxiety for people who are walking on the footpaths,” he said. 

“People come out of the door of shops and this thing whizzes by. 

“You have children on these e-scooters that shouldn't be on them.”

Licences?

Minister Canney added that at this stage he is “not ruling anything out at this stage”, but admitted he is “seriously considering” an outright ban. 

“The other option would be to have them licensed and registered,” he said. 

“[Let] the seller be registered, the owner registered, so that if an e-scooter is found to be doing something illegal or in the hands of a child or a minor, well, it's the owner who will be responsible then.”

Main image: A man on an e-scooter. Picture by: RollingNews.ie.