Yesterday evening.
Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Demonstrators from [Personal Electric Transport users group] eRide protesting outside the Dáil against ‘the lack of clarity on motorised rideables’ legality in Ireland’ following recent Garda seizures of uninsured electric scooters.
There is currently no licensing difference in ireland between an electric scooter and a car or motorbike and e-ride are demanding action on fully legalising rideables.
*snigger*
Previously: Ask A Broadsheet Reader
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Calling Brulo Rydables and Bruce Ryderish.
Expect t’see me using the expression
Rideable
From now on
Ta for the introduction Bodger
Legalise rideables? I’ve always been legal, baby.
I am also a rideable (noun) and most things I do are legal. Almost
The Road Traffic Act must be amended to include Engine capacity to make those scooter exampt else people should be prosecuted. I would suggest limits of exemption to 50cc for Petrol engines and 500Watts electric engines but keep the helmet mandatory as well as insurance (which should be on Biclycles too anyway!)
Why bother? Its just a phase like Heelies or those exploding Hoverboards.
How would you propose to apply the insurance regime to, say, a 3 year-old riding a balance bike?
..limits of exemption to 50cc for Petrol engines and 500Watts for electric engines and 1.4m tall for human-powered?
Try go up the hill with 500W scooter. Not a chance. I have 2950W electric scooter and it’s ok. I’d say that equvalent of 50cc is around 4000-5000W.
Trashbag.co.ck
check their papers too!
In case they’re taxi drivers? You do hate the fodden taxi drivers something fierce.
Nice of the handful of scooter people there to hijack a cycling protest and make it all about them instead.
The RTE news reports yesterday totally ignored why that demo was organised in the first place – a call for more money and resources from councils/central government for better and safer cycling infrastructure. The escooter thing is just an unhelpful distraction for media to get excited about
Hi Grace, it was actually organised that way and leader of cycling protest agreed with us to be there. It’s not our fault that media focused on scooters.
I doubt you’ll get a mea culpa, Martin, you demon scooter-er, you.
I couldn’t agree more Grace. Dublin Cycling Campaign would be wise to focus on their key issue and not become some kind of umbrella group for various and sometimes competing interests. Cycles lanes are bad enough without having to share them with any type of motorised vehicle.
https://www.broadsheet.ie/2019/02/20/ask-a-broadsheet-reader-241/
Those electric unicycle things should certainly be bannned.
I have seen electric scooters with seats now as well. At least standing up you can see better and your actively riding the scooter. Seated ones, well, lets see who buys those one’s and how they get on.
Why not just get a bike, I would have thought it the perfect personal transport solution, cheap, light and safe if you’re not a cabbage about it.
https://www.littlewoodsireland.ie/razor-powercore-e100s-red/1600191766.prd?param1=wghightoysfb&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4Lys0oCh4gIVb7HtCh1V_A4fEAQYBSABEgKccfD_BwE#sku=sku20056261&&cm_mmc=Google-_-Generic-_-WG+-+Smart+Shopping+-+C&F+-+Menswear-_-C&F
Nothing should be banned. Because you would be scared to ride it doesn’t mean others couldn’t. I coiuld say the same about motorbikes. That scooter you posted is a toy for kids and not a proper scooter for commuting. These cheap pieces of crap should be banned from road.
Woah woah, easy there, I prob should have put an exclamation mark after that sentence. If we are talking about these devices in the context of commuting I would have concerns for the safety of the user. There will be a small percentage of users who know what they have and what the limitations are and on the other side there will be more users who will be reckless. The sit down scooter represents a reckless user in my opinion. If we are talking in the context of recreation I am all for them, if something is fun, then that’s all that matters. Its mad enough out there with two wheeled, four wheeled and two legged commuters as it is. Sure, we could all get along some day, but we are not heading in that direction.