Holly Cairns
Question:153. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport his plans to introduce regulations for e-scooters. [42810/21]
View answerThursday, 9 September 2021
Questions (153)
Written answers
My Department is committed to decarbonising the transport sector by encouraging modal shift away from travel by private car towards less carbon-intensive and more sustainable alternatives. Micro-mobility options like e-scooters have an important role to play in this transition to a cleaner and greener society and economy. The Deputy will be aware that the forthcoming Road Traffic Bill includes provisions to allow for the development of e-scooter regulations accordingly.
The Bill will define a new category of vehicle in the Road Traffic Act 1961 called “powered personal transporters” or ‘PPTs’, which will include e-scooters, and amend the current definition for mechanically propelled vehicles (MPVs) to remove PPTs from its scope. Establishing this new category will enable us to subsequently set out appropriate technical and safety standards and rules for the use of e-scooters in secondary legislation, without the same need for registration, licencing and taxation associated with MPVs.
The preparatory work to draft these technical Regulations has already commenced. Earlier this year, my Department undertook a comprehensive consultation process with key stakeholders to inform the development of these Regulations, including the Road Safety Authority, the National Transport Authority, An Garda Síochána, Local Government and representation from a range of industry, advocacy and accessibility groups. My Department will consider these submissions, in tandem with the learnings from the introduction of e-scooters in other jurisdictions, to ensure that we can foster a supportive environment for micro-mobility vehicles while tackling the implementation challenges associated with innovative modes of travel. It should be noted that maintaining the highest standards of road safety, particularly for the most vulnerable road users, will continue to be a priority for my Department.
It is expected that the Bill will shortly be introduced in the Dáil with a view to finalisation and commencement before the end of this year.