FREE NOW, Ireland’s largest taxi app, has welcomed the Minister for Transport’s commitment to legislate for e-scooters in 2021.
Minister Eamon Ryan said this week in the Dáil that he intends to legislate for e-scooters in 2021 as outlined in the Programme for Government by identifying and developing appropriate amendments to primary legislation, and that his officials have commenced work on drafting the necessary changes. This has been an ongoing issue for escooter users for some time now and needs to be addressed quicker in my opinion however we wont be constantly banging the same drum on it a keep posting it day in day out.
The Minister’s comments come following the launch of a new Mobility Series, led by FREE NOW, which brings industry leaders together to push key issues and opportunities for Ireland relating to sustainable mobility. The first event in the series earlier this month focused on e-scooters in the Covid-19 world, and the steps that need to be taken in order for Ireland to catch up with its European neighbours to offer more diverse transport options across the country.
Chair of the Mobility Series, Fiona Brady, Head of Operations at FREE NOW said: “We are extremely pleased to see the Minister’s commitment to legislate for e-scooters next year. We are very open to working with the Minister and his departmental officials to help develop the necessary legislation as expediently as possible, drawing from our extensive experience inputting into policy where we provide this service in other countries ”
“The legislation, and clarification on vehicle classification, will allow for the safe operation and interaction of e-scooters with other road users. E-scooters allow for a socially-distanced way of getting around that is very suited to the public transport challenges of the pandemic, as well as offering a more environmentally-friendly, affordable way to travel that reduces carbon emissions and traffic congestion. A recent survey of our customers found that almost 70% of those interviewed are now more environmentally-aware when making decisions on how to travel since the pandemic began. We want to see E-scooters available for use from next Summer.”
It is now almost one year since the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport ran a public consultation on Personal Powered Transporters.
Other members of the Mobility Series focused on e-scooters included Zipp, Zeus Scooters and CoMO UK. The next event in the Mobility Series will be held at the beginning of November and will focus on electric vehicles