The Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 passed the final stages of the Seanad on 24 May and is due to return for the final Report back to the Dáil in mid-June. It is expected that the Bill will be signed into law towards the end of June 2023. Work on commencement orders has begun.
The anti-social use of scramblers and quads is a complex problem and involves both legislation coming within my remit as the Minister of State for Transport, and community initiatives within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Justice. This Bill will provide the necessary tools to An Garda Síochána to tackle this issue. There are three measures in the Bill to address this matter: dangerous driving, currently an offence only in a ‘public place’ will become an offence everywhere; there will be new Garda powers of seizure; and there will be a new power to provide in regulations for the prohibition or restriction of the uses of classes of vehicles in particular places.
It is anticipated that all sections relating to scramblers will be commenced soon after the passage of the Bill.
