New regulations will see children under 16 banned from using electric scooters in a public space from next Monday under new regulations signed by Transport Minister Eamon Ryan.
The new regulations, to come into effect later this month, will see e-scooters become legal on Irish public roads for those aged over 16.
The new laws will also set a speed limit for electric scooters of 20km per hour, and will ban the use of the vehicles for carrying a passenger or goods.
Powerful e-mopeds that can go markedly faster than fast cyclists will need vehicle registration and, in some cases, will need to be licensed and insured.
Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister Jack Chambers welcomed the new regulations, which will be introduced under the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 for e-scooters, e-bikes, and e-mopeds into Irish law.
The new regulations will be introduced from 20th May, and follow a sharp rise in the use of e-scooters, especially in built-up environments and urban settings, prompting calls for tighter regulations regarding the vehicles.
In 2023, there were more than 220 crashes or collisions on e-scooters recorded by gardaí – with 54 resulting in serious or fatal injuries. Furthermore, garda figures from 2022 show there were an average of 14 e-scooter crashes or collisions weekly.
It comes after the European Transport Safety Council, which the Irish Road Safety Authority is a member of, last year recommended the use of helmets, along with a minimum age of 16 for using an e-scooter, in addition to a 20km per hour speed limit set in factories.
The regulations will lay out the rules of the road for people choosing to use light electric vehicles which will be enforceable under Irish law.
A public information campaign outlining how these vehicles can be enjoyed and used safely on our roads will roll out from commencement day. The Gardaí and Road Safety Authority have been involved in the development of these regulations from the start and An Garda Síochána will be responsible for their enforcement.
The regulations mean that e-scooters with a maximum power output of 400 W or less, a maximum design speed of 20km/h and with a maximum weight of 25 kg – these are the regular e-scooters used by the majority of people – will be legal to use on public roads.
Any e-scooter that goes over these parameters – more powerful and heavier e-scooters – will remain illegal. The new regulations stipulate that users of e-scooters must be 16 or over, because of safety concerns for young users and other road users. People over 16 will be able to use their e-scooters in cycle lanes and bus lanes but not footpaths or pedestrianised zones and are not allowed to carry other passengers or goods.
Secondly, e-bikes with a maximum power output of 250 W or less, a motor that cuts off once pedalling stops and has a maximum speed of 25km/hr – e-bikes that the vast majority of people use – will be treated the same as bicycles and will be permitted to use cycle lanes and bus lanes but will not be permitted for use on footpaths.
E-MOPEDS
E-mopeds are powered cycles with pedals that have an electrical power-assist greater than e-bikes and are often capable of speeds in excess of even fast cyclists. Because of this additional power, all e-mopeds will require vehicle registration through Revenue and to have annual motor tax (€35 per annum). Users must be 16 years and above. There are two categories of e-mopeds:
(a) Those that have a maximum design speed of 25km/hr and a maximum power output of up to 1000W, and have an electric motor that cuts off when pedalling stops (L1e-A e mopeds). These vehicles will be permitted for use in cycle lanes and bus lanes but not on footpaths and users are legally required to wear a motorcycle helmet.
(b) Those that have a maximum design speed of up to 45km/hr and a maximum power output of 4000W (L1e-B e-mopeds). L1e-B e-mopeds can have a motor that cuts off when pedalling stops (pedal-assist) or can be powered by its motor alone, called throttle e-mopeds. Both pedal-assist and throttle e-mopeds under the L1e-B category, will require a Category AM driver’s licence.
Additionally, throttle e-mopeds will require insurance. Both L1e-B mopeds will not be permitted to use cycle lanes, bus lanes, footpaths or pedestrianised zones and users are legally required to wear a motorcycle helmet.
In June 2023, a new class of vehicles called Personal Powered Transporters (PPTs) were introduced under the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023. This means that e-scooters will now be classed as PPTs and must comply with technical and usage specifications in order to be legally used on public roads.
E-SCOOTERS
An e-scooter is a vehicle with a small standing platform and no seat, for use by one person only. An e-scooter may have two or more wheels and be propelled by an electric motor.
To be permitted for use on public roads, e-scooters must have a maximum continuous rated power output of 400 W or less; have a maximum net weight of 25 kg (including batteries); have a maximum design speed of 20 km/h or less; have wheels with a minimum diameter of 200mm. They must also be fitted with front and rear lights and reflectors, brakes and a bell, and be fitted with a manufacturer’s plate certifying the power output, weight and design speed.
Any e-scooter that does not comply with the above technical parameters will remain illegal for use on public roads.
E-scooters should be used in the same way as bicycles on public roads under the regulations.This means users must drive on the left, including in bicycle lanes and bus lanes. Users must be 16 or over, and must obey the rules of the road, particularly for traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, pelican crossings and zebra crossings.
Users must obey signals given by a Garda or school warden; must obey all traffic lights including bicycle traffic lights, along with traffic signs in the same way that they apply to cyclists. E-scooter users are also not permitted to carry passengers of goods, should only use the footpath, obey a speed limit of 20 km per hour, and are not allowed to use a mobile phone.
Regulations around the type and use of e-bikes will be classified for the first time into Irish legislation and are based on regulations set out by the EU.
Cargo bikes which meet the below requirements will also be treated as e-bikes in the regulations. Compliant e-bikes will be treated as bicycles in terms of traffic legislation and use on public roads. They will be permitted to use cycle lanes and bus lanes, but will not be permitted to use footpaths.
E-bikes must now have a maximum continuous rated power of less than or equal to 250W; Output of the motor cuts off when the cyclist stops pedalling; Output of the motor is progressively reduced and finally cut off before the vehicle speed reaches 25 km/h.
E-mopeds, also known as speed pedelecs, s-pedelecs and throttle e-mopeds, are powered cycles with pedals that have an electrical power-assist greater than e-bikes.
Additionally, vehicles where the electric motor powers the vehicle without pedalling are also classed as e-mopeds.
E-mopeds will be classed as L1e mechanically propelled vehicles (MPVs) under Irish law and are subject to specific technical and usage requirements.
All E-mopeds will require vehicle Registration with the Revenue Commissioners, and motor tax to be paid annually.
There are two distinct classifications under the L1e vehicle classification and there are some different requirements for each classification.
E-mopeds which fall under the L1e-A classification will be required to have a maximum continuous rated power up to 1000W; have a maximum design speed of up to 25km/h; have an electric motor that cuts off when pedalling stops.
The output of the motor progressively reduces and finally cut off at a certain speed.
L1e-A e-mopeds where the electric motor cuts off when pedalling stops (pedal assist) will not require insurance. Users of e-mopeds which are compliant under this vehicle category will not require a driving licence.
L1e-A e-mopeds will be permitted for use in cycle lanes and bus lanes, but not footpaths or pedestrianised areas. Users will be legally required to wear a motorcycle helmet and reflective high-vis and protective clothing is strongly recommended.
On the other hand, e-mopeds which fall under the L1e-B classification will have a maximum continuous rated power up to 4000W, and will have a maximum design speed of up to 45km/h.
Output of the motor may cut off when pedalling stops (s-pedelec). Output of the motor may progressively reduce and finally cut off at a certain speed.
An L1e-B e-moped that does not require pedalling and can be powered by its motor alone is called a Throttle e-moped.
Throttle L1e-B e-mopeds, that do not require pedalling to move, will require insurance, while pedal Assist L1e-B e-mopeds will not require insurance.
L1e-B e-mopeds will require a Category AM licence for both pedal-assist and throttle e-mopeds. L1e-B e-mopeds will not be permitted for use in cycle lanes, bus lanes, footpaths and pedestrianised areas.
Users will be legally required to wear a motorcycle helmet and reflective high-vis and protective clothing is strongly recommended.