The rider was spotted dangerously weaving between pedestriansThe brand new scooter seized by Gardaí(Image: Gardaí)

Over the past few years, e-scooters have become an increasingly popular mode of transportation in urban areas across Ireland. While they’ve been great for cutting down on emissions and circumventing traffic snarls, some riders use them to weave dangerously through pedestrianised areas or busy roadways.

On St Stephen’s Day, one rider in Limerick who had taken their new e-scooter out for a spin didn’t get far before being flagged down by Gardaí. The rider was spotted by Gardaí zipping around pedestrians on a busy street in Limerick city – behaviour that local Gardaí described as extremely dangerous.

After being pulled over, Gardaí informed them that the scooter was being seized, with the driver protesting that they had just received it as a Christmas gift the day before. However, the pleas fell on deaf ears, and the e-scooter was seized under the Road Traffic Act and brought back to Henry Street Garda Station.

The driver will need to apply to the District Court to have it returned to them, and Gardaí took the opportunity to issue a warning to anyone else who may have received an e-scooter for Christmas.

They said: “Reminder to anyone who got an e-scooter this Christmas: if it’s used dangerously, it can be seized by Gardaí.

“This scooter, only just out of the box more than 24 hours, was being driven extremely dangerously among pedestrians this evening in the Historical Quarter area of the city when Community Policing members from Henry Street encountered it. It was seized under the Road Traffic Act, and the owner will now have to apply to the District Court to have it returned.”

Here in Cork, walkers along the Marina endured similar behaviour yesterday. A group of pedestrians had to jump out of the way as a group of young teens whizzed up and down the very popular pedestrianised way at speed – the four e-scooters had passengers on the back and were travelling at speeds well over 20mph.

Under the road safety rules, personal mobility machines like two-wheeled scooters must:

Travel at speeds of 20 km/h or lessHave an electric motor with a maximum power output of 400 watts or lessHave wheels of at least 200mm in diameterHave front and rear lights (switched on during lighting-up hours and darkness), reflectors, front and rear brakes, and a bellE-scooters can weigh a maximum of 25 kilograms (including batteries), have a manufacturer’s plate showing the power output, weight, and design speed and be in roadworthy condition.

While e-scooters sold in Ireland should come with governors – limiters that cap the speed to less than 20mph – many are bought directly from China and do not come with these limiters. In some cases, the e-scooters have been modified to reach speeds of 50mph or more.