Everyone seems to have an opinion about congestion and poor public transport services, but nothing seems to energise radio listeners more than e-scooters. One local radio station is making a documentary programme about e-scooters because they get more listener comments about them than anything else. The complaints range from concerns about the role that e-scooters play in antisocial behaviour, inconsiderate and risky riding, e-scooters on footpaths and speed. Should they be banned? How should the rules of the road be applied to them? Who is responsible for enforcing the rules? Why are our footpaths and streets cluttered with all these fast-moving objects?

Since 2024, the law regarding e-scooters has been very clear. They are not permitted to be used at speeds over 20km/h on public roads, and e-scooter users must be 16 years or over. Their use on footpaths is forbidden. Passengers and seats are not allowed on e-scooters and users are required to have lights, reflectors, brakes and a bell. They are not permitted on public transport due to concerns over the fire risk posed by batteries. Gardaí have the power to issue fines of €50 for offences under the Road Traffic Act and may seize an e-scooter that does not meet the technical standard. However, you could walk into a retail store today and buy a child’s e-scooter without having any idea that their use by under 16-year-olds is illegal.

Efforts to raise public awareness of the e-scooter regulations has been patchy, and like many aspects of road safety, awareness-raising campaigns by the Road Safety Authority fall well short of what is required. Gardaí are still trialling the use of mobile dynamometers and are increasing enforcement only after a spate of tragic accidents involving young people and illegal vehicles. In a reply to a parliamentary question in January 2026, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan noted that there were 958 fixed-charge notices issued for e-scooter-related offences and 817 e-scooters seized or detained in 2025. However, there is still an air of moral panic about e-scooters as if “something must be done about them”.

That e-scooter use has exploded is not in doubt. But this is not necessarily a bad development. “Micromobility”, as it is called by transport policy experts, can play an important role in filling the gaps in public transport provision in an affordable manner. In an energy crisis, it helps that it costs as little as 20 cent to charge the battery, which might have a range of between 18 and 30km. E-scooters are an exceptionally affordable alternative to a car, are much cheaper than an e-bike and are easy to charge and use. Many designs can be folded and stored conveniently indoors, all of which makes them attractive for people on low incomes or with limited storage space for bikes. With proper regulation and strict enforcement, they have a role to play as we enter into a new energy and cost-of-living crisis.

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Are they more dangerous than bicycles or e-bikes? There is evidence of increased numbers of injuries related to e-scooter use since 2021, but it is also the case that the number of people using them has increased dramatically. The authors of a 2025 medical study note that 41 per cent of those presenting with e-scooter-related injuries were foreign nationals, which may be a contributory factor to public attitudes. It is more socially acceptable to “other” an e-scooter rider than a foreign national.

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What this study didn’t highlight is that without segregated infrastructure, e-scooters and cyclists alike are competing with cars for road space and exposed to increased risk of injury in a collision.

Our streetscapes are increasingly dominated by moving, noisy and often threatening objects. The solution is to enforce the regulations and build segregated cycle lanes.

In the Netherlands, e-scooters are much less common because the cycling infrastructure is excellent and cycling culture so attractive. We could learn something from the Dutch about training and etiquette, as well as that Dutch habit of calling out bad cycling behaviour there and then. Dutch children typically take a national cycling exam known as the Verkeersexamen during their final years of primary school, where they learn about the rules of the road and undertake a practical exam. Dutch cyclists reprimand each other on the grounds that everyone’s safety depends on following the rules. Bells and lights are mandatory, and the police enforce these requirements, especially during the winter.

In Ireland, people are quick to blame e-scooter riders and cyclists for anarchy on some streets. In reality, it is single-occupancy vehicles (private cars with just one person in them) that dominate our public spaces, but listening to talk radio you would think that our cities are under siege from e-scooters. Only by slowing all traffic down to well below 30km/h in urban areas and providing generous footpaths with segregated cycle lanes will that sense of chaos subside.

Sadhbh O’Neill is a climate and environmental researcher

© The Irish Times