rsa supporting e-scooters

beauf

Grassey wrote: »

Mandatory wrist guards and knee pads probably would be even better safety equipment too right?

I'm not sure you'll get pedestrians to wear them.

Grassey

The RSA have them wearing high vis on footpaths already and around parks in daylight and the summer, never underestimate the power of some 'good' tv ads....

Atlantic Dawn

My guess with UK approach for licence requirement is they want to be able to issue penalty points for offenders of traffic laws which I think is a good idea to deter the current wild west approach.

magicbastarder

that's one approach. but as an option for someone who can't afford a moped, or car, etc., forcing someone who might otherwise be able to use them, to pay for lessons and sit a test for a vehicle type they don't intend using, is, well, stupid.

MojoMaker

^^ Completely. That's not a trivial expense by any means.

loyatemu

it's nuts, it's like saying "you can only ride a bike if you first buy a car". UK approach stinks, I hope they don't just copy it here.

Atlantic Dawn

I think some level of confirmed basic knowledge of rules of the road is needed, passing the theory test would give this and also having the learner permit would allow punishment for breaking the rules.

magicbastarder

they can impose the limits on the max speed and use of them, without placing those limits on the user. similar to bikes; you'd be able to get up to a greater speed on an e-bike than many scooters, and they'd probably weigh more too. but there's (sensibly) no need for a test for e-cyclists.

Macy0161

There is zero requirement for a licence to impose penalties for law breaking.

The appalling compliance by motorists to traffic laws is proof enough that licences are not an effective enforcement measure. Enforcement is.

tomasrojo

The adult demographic most likely to use e-scooters is also the adult demographic least likely to have a driving licence.

tomasrojo

Bit about the NZ experience here:
https://twitter.com/acurlywurly/status/1278261397596499970

Also makes a few points about minorities not having driving licences, and e-scooters, pre-covid-19 at least, not overall replacing car journeys.

beauf

Early adopters are least likely to bothered with the lack of legislation around them.

Will putting legislation in place broaden their viability for a wider demographic.

For me an eBike still makes more sense for my commute.. Though I probably get escooter as well.

Grassey

They should just say on the spot fines for breaking traffic laws (as per other road users), allow them on road,in cycle lane, on path (slow speed, yielding to pedestrians). Job done, everyone is happy.

I'd find it hard to think there is anyone that has such a limited grasp (*) of basic traffic laws without doing a test, such as stopping, yielding etc. My toddler even knows red is stop and green is go in the car!

(*) yes, everyday users will run reds, sit in yellows etc, but that's willful, not ignorance!


Stuff like mandatory insurance, licence, clothing, 'safety' equipment, rental only is all smoke to distract from ensuring takeup is nil

LeeroyJ.

Hoping the Greens in Government now will help the case for legislation.

timsey tiger

Is this a case of 2+2=5, could they be talking about a new class of driving licence specifically for electric scooters? You have to have a driving licence to drive a tractor/bus/motor bike, however the licence in question is not a car licence.

ExoPolitic

Has anybody seen any progress on this since the last bill was wiped at the dissolution of the Dail?

MojoMaker

No updates as far as I heard. But I saw something interesting in suburbia during the week - a Garda remonstrating with a middle-aged portly gentlemen who had surrendered his escooter-with-a-seat to the Gannon's recovery vehicle - presumably impounded and off to the yard.

beauf

It's a disgrace it's not sorted out..

magicbastarder

the greens have had a policy to support regularising them, but voted with a lot of other parties in october to await the result of a three month consultation process. it's long since past that three month deadline, however.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/most-political-parties-side-with-government-against-ff-e-scooter-bill-1.4054359

tomasrojo

Hopefully now the internal unrest around the programme for government and the leadership contest is over, Eamon Ryan can get to sorting some of this stuff out.

Thargor

Wonder how many of them Lidl pumped into the system recently and if there was a corresponding uptick in Garda seizures?

Markcheese

Honestly surprised this didn't get rushed through as a reaction to covid ... Avoid public transport use an e-scooter ,kind of perfect timing for it . (Especially before winter )

1bryan

Thargor wrote: »

Wonder how many of them Lidl pumped into the system recently and if there was a corresponding uptick in Garda seizures?

was wondering the same.

I also wonder if more of a blind eye is being turned to it, in light of Covid.

MojoMaker

Clearly not though, as I witnessed just a few days ago.

No interest in impounding the illegal scramblers in our parks and footpaths, yet happy to take a slow-moving scooter off a middle aged lad minding his own business.

LeeroyJ.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/e-scooters-to-be-legalised-in-2021-eamon-ryan-says-l03tpmrmb

E-scooters to be legalised in 2021, Eamon Ryan says

Markcheese

LeeroyJ. wrote: »

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/e-scooters-to-be-legalised-in-2021-eamon-ryan-says-l03tpmrmb

E-scooters to be legalised in 2021, Eamon Ryan says

Oh wow .
Brilliant ,the sooner the better ...

Markcheese

I have no prob with a speed / power restriction ,
I have no problem with a requirement for a helmet and or hi-vis jacket ,
To be honest I've no problem with a requirement that you've done the equivalent of a cycle training course or have a provisional licence ...
And that if youre acting the tit your scooter can be seized ...
But a lot of those things may be controversial ...

Definite increase in e-scooters round my way in recent months. We've no cycle lanes so it's a 50/50 split between the road and footpath. I'd one girl come up behind me when I was walking a few weeks back and rang her bell to alert me to her presence and I damn near jumped out of my skin

We both had a good laugh, I tend to be in a world of my own thoughts when I go for a walk.


The biggest problem with 99% of the ones I've seen is how sh!te the rear lights on them are. I've seen better lights on Christmas trees.

Inquitus

Markcheese wrote: »

I have no prob with a speed / power restriction ,
I have no problem with a requirement for a helmet and or hi-vis jacket ,
To be honest I've no problem with a requirement that you've done the equivalent of a cycle training course or have a provisional licence ...
And that if youre acting the tit your scooter can be seized ...
But a lot of those things may be controversial ...

Why would you impose these rules on scooters when cyclists are not required to meet any of them?

magicbastarder

yeah, there's definitely a 'be careful what you wish for' concern here. as that'd normalise introducing those rules for cyclists.

albeit with the caveat about the max speed, that's already kinda baked in with e-bikes anyway.