E-scooters won't be tolerated on footpaths in Mayo

PARENTS buying e-scooters for children and young teens have been warned that they are giving them a lethal weapon.

Gardaí in Mayo have seized scooters and issued fines, but education is needed to mitigate the problems they pose when not used correctly, a council roads policy committee meeting was told.

Inspector David Tiernan explained that it is an offence for anyone under 16 years of age to use an e-scooter. The maximum permissible speed is 20kph, they cannot carry passengers, and they must not be used on footpaths.

Offence figures in Mayo are low, he said, and fixed charge penalty fines have been imposed, for example for driving on footpaths. And in the Ballina area, a person was arrested under the drink driving laws.

Committee members were also told the gardaí maintain that when an e-scooter travels above 20kph and the 25kg maximum weight, it can then be treated as a mechanically propelled vehicle and is subject to road traffic legislation.

In tackling issues raised by councillors, Inspector Tiernan said there is a role for education along with enforcement, and road safety officer Frances Mitchell said an awareness campaign will be rolled out to build good habits, including the use of helmets and hi-vis by users.

Describing e-scooters as 'a plague on society', Councillor Michael Burke said parents buying them for children as young as 10 or 12 was like giving them a loaded gun or a car to drive.

The amount of calls he has received about them from people all around Mayo was 'unbelievable', he said, and they generally relate to e-scooters being used on footpaths.

Councillor Burke agreed they are a way of transport for a lot of people, the majority of whom use them in a proper manner, but there are issues with them being used on paths and walkways and going above the permitted speed.

Councillor Richard Finn felt the problem isn't overly excessive in the west of Ireland and they needed to find a happy medium to sort the footpath issue.

On footpaths, there should be zero tolerance, and hi-vis should be mandatory, Councillor Damien Ryan suggested.

And he sent out a clear message: stick to the thoroughfares and keep within the legislation, and if you don't you risk having your e-scooter confiscated.

* Funded under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme