Woman zooms down Dublin’s N4 on an electric scooter
On Thursday morning, a woman was spotted cruising down a busy bus lane on the N4 eastbound just after the turn off for Liffey Valley on her electric scooter.
Video footage was taken by a passer-by in his van and he stated that the woman did not appear fazed by the vehicles passing by.
The incident occurred at 7:30 in the morning when the woman was seen flying down the N4 main road, it was only when ongoing vehicles began to beep that the woman moved into the bus lane.
Is this even legal?
The law currently states ‘The Road Traffic Act 1961 defines a mechanically propelled vehicle as a vehicle intended or adapted for propulsion by mechanical means, including a bicycle or tricycle with an attachment for propelling it by mechanical power, whether or not the attachment is being used’. This also includes electrical, partially electric and mechanically propelled vehicles.
The minister of finance also has said that penalties under road traffic laws for using such a vehicle include fixed charge notices, penalty points, fines and possible seizure of the vehicle.
However, while stating this, he added that currently, it is not possible to tax or insure e-scooters or electric skateboards.
The pressure is on the government to address the law of these electrically powered scooters and regulate their use. The minister for transport has called for research to be carried out by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) for comparison of the regulations in other EU countries. Until these studies have been carried out no laws will be changed.
Because of this, there is no set date on whether the minister will amend this legislation or not until the research is carried out by the RSA.
Another minister has argued back and said that these scooters and both ‘environmentally friendly’ and ‘green’ and should be allowed on the roads saying “I am at a loss as to why the department has been stonewalling on this issue,” he said, adding that the department, instead of being proactive last year on the matter, is now being reactive. But the minister for transport stands by his decision
“It is not quite as simple as it may appear on the surface in terms of regulating their use. The primary concern behind the survey and examination that is going on is safety.”
Road safety irony
The ironic thing about this incident is the fact that no one in the media seems to be questioning the dangerous aspect of the driver who has sent this footage to the media? That person themselves may very well be acting in a dangerous and illegal manner also, by videoing this woman on the scooter while they themselves were driving? The footage is very clearly being shot on the driver's side of the vehicle and most obviously, this individual is driving while using a mobile phone which itself is an offence? So what do you think?
As for scooters? Only time will tell if we will be able to zoom around on our scooters hassle-free?
Author
Justin Kavanagh
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