Electric Scooters to be banned from all Public Transport

Tenzor07

I think the main issue is that a lot of the scooters being sold are coming in from China direct so have no EU certification meaning you don't know what safety standards if any the eScooter has.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122558012#Comment_122558012

They do have certifications, but no one checks whether they are genuine certifications, or whether the actual product matches the certification.

You can find reports online for all products withdrawn from EU markets.

https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10007268?lang=en

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122557940#Comment_122557940

Sure sure

Aldi have tinfoil on sale this week.

SupaCat95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122558257#Comment_122558257

Glad you told me, mine was getting a bit tight. Caught up on your vaccines boosters yet?

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122558277#Comment_122558277

I have. Feel great. So what?

Maybe the ivermectin sheep dewormer is causing your head to swell. Maybe get that checked.

SupaCat95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122558284#Comment_122558284

Good for you. Good boy go to the head of the class.

bigslick

This ban is extremally frustrating considering the government has for years juggled the legality of e-scooters while allowing e-bikes to continue to operate without any limitations. When they finally get to it and decide in May of this year that e-scooters will be legal, this is then followed up with a ban of bringing them onto public transport!! Surely both items could have considered at the same time, and consideration been given to the huge amount of individuals who utilise these as many models are intended to be used as 'last mile' transport.

All of the incidents and videos that have been mentioned previously in this thread relate to fires occuring while the scooter is charging at home, and/or the owner has installed a third party battery that is not meant for such a model. Funny enough there are tonnes of fires every year from the same thing happening with smart phones, yet there is no call for a ban on these.

There seems to be some fear of a scooter just randomly bursting into flames on a train or luas which my mind boggles at. Do the same people who believe this is a huge risk also feel that the stores that sell them should also be worried of the same fires just randomly occurring in their stores (and before anyone notes that the batterys do not come charged, they are charged 40-50% out the box)?

It just seems like government have no basis for doing such and have reacted to some uneducated fears and removed a solution for the ever growing environmental and congestion concerns across the country. It is short sighted and a completely accurate reflection of the morons in government who are making decisions on behalf of the rest of us.

GreenPanda99

I dont think its really anything to do with scooters catching fire. My guess is they have a huge amount of complaints from passengers that there are just too many scooters and bikes on the trains now and they are a nuisance. A colleague here whos husband works in IR said there have been a few attempts to take legal action for injuries from scooters and bikes on the trains IR over the last few years although she doesnt know how far they went or if they were settled.

So I think the battery thing is a red herring tbh, and its not really about that, but a fire inside a train carriage would be no joke all the same.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122557940#Comment_122557940

Your liberties are protected by the Constitution.

Unsurprisingly they don't include the right to take anything you want to on public transport.

whisky_galore

Can we just zip it with conspiracy shìte talk and get back on topic?

SupaCat95

There have been a half dozen deaths from e-scooters this year. Whats the usual traffic deaths head count? Guessing 370-420 a year. You dont hear about banning cars off the roads. The most likely people to cause accidents are the spacers on mobile phones and scooters.

I am no fan of scooters or the dopes too lazy to use a push bike but they do have a right to travel where they want to go and should not be hindered by bureaucrats with power gone to their head

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122559658#Comment_122559658

No one has a right to travel where they want. We have trespass laws.

No one has the right to travel on a particular service. We have to buy tickets and follow schedules and services have the right to refuse.

No one has the right to bring whatever baggage they choose to bring. Some services prohibit certain items, airlines in particular.

SupaCat95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122559705#Comment_122559705

YYou really missed your calling on the X case.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122559658#Comment_122559658

Theres something like 2000 ice car fires a year.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122550036#Comment_122550036

Exactly this.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122559720#Comment_122559720

Doubtful, I was a toddler.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122550036#Comment_122550036

We already have this. Anything sold in or to the EU has to meet safety standards and carry the CE mark. The scooters you see today should already meet these standards. All cards on the table I'm no fan of the scooters but these rules are extreme

An e-scooter, like any battery powered device, which is properly cared for is not a fire risk. Damaged batteries can cause a fire risk but even still the risk is low

Flinty997

I'd lay good odds a lot are not EU approved.

But as you say what is the risk relative to other things going on fire.

There should be far more enforcement of existing rules rather than adding new ones that won't be enforced.

It's just tokenism.

But in a city thats choked with car traffic we are in the stone age when it comes to alternatives.

GreenPanda99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122561476#Comment_122561476

Id lay good odds that its only due to the volume of complaints they are getting from passengers about them being a nuisance, and nothing at all to do with the batteries.

gossamerfabric

With a good 25kmph scooter you will travel farther more often and avoid public transport.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122561525#Comment_122561525

Yeah probably.

I will say you see a lot of ignorant people with regular bikes and scooters just inconveniencing every one.

But as someone who uses a folding bike on a train, I feel I'm being penalized for their lack of enforcement.

GreenPanda99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122561577#Comment_122561577

I think you are ok if you fold up your bike. That bothers nobody at all. I think it used to be that you had to have a folding bike inside a bag too. Dont know if that will make a comeback. But having to step over big bulky personal transport on the train or bus certainly bothers most people. Even the amount of space it takes up is very annoying for most people.

I posted the photo that was sent to me of the guy using the seat for his scooter on the train from Pearse. But last week I saw an argument break out as someone was trying to go through the doors between carriages only to find a bike blocking the door.

Flinty997

I can tell you've I've had drivers ask me to fold my bike on an empty train, and bang on and on over the intercom about bikes not allowed on trains as I sit in cycling gear with my folding bike folded in luggage rack.

While People force their way onto a crammed train with a non folding bike or non folded scooter.

Large part of that conflict is they had abysmal facilities for folding bikes or bikes or scooters.

New carriages are a big improvement..

Dr Bob

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122552909#Comment_122552909

My theory (which may be wrong) is that bikes/e bikes tend to be seem as a middle class thing , cheaper e-scooters tend to be seen as a working class transport .

E Bikes are more likely bought via a bike to work scheme , E-scooters aren't.

I think unconsciously there may be a bias that your average e-scooter owner is some feral teenager , whereas an ebike is some office worker , how much that effects decisions though I cant imagine.

Flinty997

Consider they weren't legal until recently. Most people gave them a wide birth as a result.

I would be hesitant to buy a cheap scooter or eBike which would be impossible to get serviced or fixed if there's a problem. Then it's not so cheap or good value.

An eScooters is not going to handle kerbs and potholes as well as ebike and tbh the older you are a bike is going to be more stable more forgiving. Can carry stuff on paniers etc.

I assume that's why bikes are more popular.

traco

Electric / electronic products shoiod have a CE mark and be tested. Manufacturers can self certify and should have a technical file in an EU jurisdiction on the product. Needless to say many consumer electronic products from China don't have and the cheap ones are cheap for a reason. Also try finding them to take legal action if something goes wrong.

I see no issue with small electric scooters but some of them weight 40 kgs and are huge and their footprint is not much smaller than a bike. They are a regular site on the Heuston Portlaoise commuter line where they are at carriage doors.

Flinty997

There are larger heavier scooters but there are also lighter smaller ones. Theres like spec race to have one that goes faster and further. But most people don't need that.

traco

Some are nuts but even the legislation they brought in on them is a bit of a farce. It's way to complicated and a simple matter of manage the supply into the market would ensure safe and compliant models. However we seem hell bent on more rules and red tape that isn't enforced.

Vestiapx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122563130#Comment_122563130

Yup

halfpastneverr

Will NTA/TFI/DOT whatever quango of the day be providing affordable, reliable, secure lockers at Luas stations to coincide with ludicrously banning e-scooters? I lost two (deliberately crappy!) push bikes to theft at the Red Cow Luas station between 2020 and 2023. Luas didn't want to know and Clondalkin Garda Station weren't arsed either. I bought an e-scooter specifically so I could take it with me and not leave it to be nicked. 45 min walk or 10 odd min scoot or cycle.

I'll be continuing to take mine with me anyway. If needs be, I'll just affect the tone of our narcotic enthusiast brethren to ensure Luas security won't spot me, like they never seem to spot said folks when they are checking tickets!

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122557301#Comment_122557301

NNo I suppose not but it does seem like the Communist idea

Oh FFS.

🙄

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122561525#Comment_122561525

Perhaps.

But obstructing other passengers is a good enough reason to ban them from public transport.

SupaCat95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122564613#Comment_122564613

YYou dont believe these technologies exist?

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122548938#Comment_122548938

"London fire Brigade had over 200 call out so to fires caused by E-scooters last year"

Really? According to LFB by the end of August of 2023, crews had fought 104 e-bike fires along with 19 e-scooter blazes. Where did you see the 200 number? I'm not saying it's not a problem, but 200 seems an awful lot for just e-scooters.

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122552048#Comment_122552048

Duplicate videos up there to make it look like there's more than there is.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122568683#Comment_122568683

"…14,920 vehicle fires last year across the UK equating to almost 41 every single day…"

The perfect vehicle doesn't exist. But there is a narrative to cancel any form of alternative to the car.

magicbastarder

most of those videos suggested they caught fire while charging. which again, is not something that happens on public transport.

3d4life

"…..Whats the usual traffic deaths head count? Guessing 370-420 a year….."

Seems its less than half that

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2024/01/01/number-of-deaths-on-irish-roads-increases-by-19-in-2023-rsa-data-shows/

2023 figure apparently includes 44 pedestrians and 26 motorcyclists

Flinty997

If you trying

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122574977#Comment_122574977

Not entirely sure what you're implying in a thread about eScooters. If it's cars aren't that significant in the statistics you'd be wrong.

Jellybaby_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122573918#Comment_122573918

Not intentional. I copied different videos.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122555856#Comment_122555856

I see electric roller skates are a thing now so would make it a lot easier taking away much of the physical effort.

Anyone affected by this ban should get a pair of electric skates and stick them in a bag. No-one will know and a faster way to cover the last mile.

Hilly Bill

They were already banned. Anything with a battery and a motor isn't allowed unless it's a wheelchair.

tom1ie

What have other countries done in this scenario?
Have they banned scooters on PT also, or have they welcomed/encouraged them as final pieces of the PT puzzle?

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122610025#Comment_122610025

this is so vague a statement as to be meaningless. e-bikes have batteries and motors and are explicitly legal (within certain parameters) and e-scooters are also legal now (again, within certain parameters)

bk

BTW Another option is a non electric scooter, less convenient, but still faster then walking.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122611351#Comment_122611351

A manual scooter, regular bike or folding bike are beneath people now, too lazy to work their legs.

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122722068#Comment_122722068

Having ridden ebikes, you definitely work your legs. It is still a pretty good workout IME, you just cover the ground quicker and hills are less stressful.

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122722068#Comment_122722068

It's not like that at all, the eBike is the perfect commuter.. you can reach equivalent speeds as a standard bicycle without turning up to work needing a shower and a full change of clothes..